Learning to Cope
by SilverBelle
Summary: Continues where the 5th book left off. Introduces a new character and a new way of looking at certain people. Please review and let me know if it's worth a read! (obviously there are OotP spoilers!)
1. No News is Good News

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, ect. I am merely a fan, writing fiction...fanfiction...

---------------------------------------------

**Chapter 1 – No News is Good News  
**  
Harry lay on his bed at the Dursleys and stared sullenly at the ceiling. He glanced at his clock to find that it was 6am. He heard a tapping on the window and looked. It was Pigwidgeon, Ron's owl. _Sirius gave him that owl_, he thought with a pang. He let Pig in and briefly felt like stuffing the owl in the trunk in the back of his closet along with everything else that reminded him of Sirius. Pig was blissfully oblivious to Harry's inner battle, and flew around his head at annoying speed. Harry yanked him out of the air and pulled the letter off his leg. Then he practically stuffed the owl in to Hedwig's water bowl. Pig looked at Harry particularly reproachfully before taking a drink and zipping out the window. Harry looked down at Ron's untidy scrawl and wondered if he even wanted to open the letter. So far, they had all been filled with things like, "I know how you feel, Harry, but it's not your fault". It wasn't his fault, they said. But Sirius was dead – he had come to save Harry and died. Harry pummeled his fist into the bed, fighting back the familiar feeling of tears threatening to spill. Finally, more out of curiosity than anything else, he opened the letter.  
  
_Harry,  
  
How are you, mate? You haven't written back for the last two weeks, except to Lupin and the rest to tell them you're all right. We want to know what's going on with you. Hey, guess what? The adults all have something they're guarding, and it's not you!  
_  
Harry was half indignant, half curious. On one hand, they should be guarding him because, what was that reason again – oh yeah, Lord Voldemort was after him. But on the other hand, this new thing they're guarding had to be pretty interesting. He wondered if it was another weapon.  
  
_Snape goes ballistic when he's not allowed to guard it. You see, they're supposed to take shifts – one person for the day, and another for the night (they Apparate to wherever they're going). Last time Snape went, he was gone for two days. Now, we know that's weird, but guess what's weirder? Tonks accidentally gave out that it's alive, or, at least, that it moves. You see, Snape and Moody were arguing about who got to go, and Tonks burst in and said, "Well one of you had better go because it's been fifteen minutes and who knows where (she looked at us)...it...is now!" So then Snape told Moody to go wash his eyeball and Disapparated. It's really weird.  
_  
Harry thought about this for a while. Snape desperately wanted to guard something – that kind of made sense – but not if this something was alive! Since when had Snape wanted to be around other living creatures? He glanced back down at the letter.  
  
_Oh yeah, Lupin is coming to get you the 1st of July at 3. I was supposed to tell you in your last letter, but I forgot. We've all been pestering Dumbledore to let you come down here, and he's finally agreed. I bet with all of us together, we can find out what that thing they're guarding really is – even Fred and George don't know, and every time somebody mentions the words "guard" or "duty", they completely explode saying they should have a chance to guard whatever it is.  
  
Anyway, mate, please write back this time!  
  
Ron  
_  
With no intention of writing back, Harry carefully stored the letter in a drawer of his desk and looked eagerly at his calendar. Suddenly he jumped up, not caring if he woke the Dursleys or not. Today was July 1st! He sank onto his bed, suddenly overcome with relief. He wouldn't have to stay in this prison much longer – only eight more hours. He decided to try and keep busy, but found it to be harder than he thought. He was packed in half an hour, and had successfully made, eaten, and cleaned up his breakfast in another hour. Six and a half more hours, he chanted to himself as he finished washing his dishes.  
  
He turned around to see Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia giving him suspicious stares.  
  
"What are you doing?" his uncle demanded. Harry had half a mind to reply with, "What does it look like I'm doing, you stupid rhinoceros?", but decided against it.  
  
"Washing my breakfast dishes", he replied, "Oh and later today a werewolf is coming to pick me up around three, so I won't be back for the summer." He smiled sunnily at them as if he had just announced he was having a tea party with the king and queen, and then ran upstairs nearly bursting with laughter. The look on their faces had been priceless – ah, the magic words.  
  
At a quarter til, he was downstairs pacing around the whole house. He paced the entire downstairs and then went upstairs and paced that, too. He had no idea if Lupin was going to Apparate, use floo powder, or if there was some other magical means of traveling which he had never heard of.  
  
"What are you doing, boy?" his uncle growled as he paced the living room where he, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were all huddled.  
  
"I don't know how he's going to get here", Harry replied absentmindedly. As he left the room, he suddenly heard a large crack behind him, followed by a shrill scream, although which member of the family it came from he couldn't tell. He ran back into the living room to see Lupin standing in the middle of it. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley scurried to a corner furthest away from Lupin.  
  
"Ah, Harry", Lupin said brightly, not acknowledging his other family, "All packed?"  
  
"Yes", Harry replied, "My stuff is just upstairs."  
  
The smile was wiped from Harry's face as he trudged upstairs, followed by Lupin. Lupin reminded him of Sirius. He felt a familiar lump rising in his throat. As he walked into his room, however, something hit him. Lupin was the last of the Marauders. He had lost his best friend in the world when Harry had died. Two of his best friends had died, and his other had betrayed them all. Lupin understood. Harry turned to Lupin to find that he was looking at him with an odd gleam in his eye. Harry found that he couldn't stop himself. He stepped forwards and threw his arms around Lupin at the same time Lupin enveloped him in a hug. Lupin held Harry tightly, and Harry thought that this might be what it was like to be hugged by a father. Harry couldn't stop the tears from coming, but when Lupin released him, he brushed them away embarrassedly. Lupin did the same.  
  
"It's not your fault, Harry", he said simply. Suddenly Harry believed him. Harry felt a bit childish for running into Lupin's arms like that, but it had taken a huge burden off his shoulders to do so. He finally felt that it wasn't his fault. Harry and Lupin surveyed each other for a second, until Lupin spoke.  
  
"Harry", Lupin said, "I'm not your father – and I'm not Sirius..."  
  
Harry cut him off. "I don't care", he replied, "You're enough – more than enough."  
  
Lupin looked genuinely touched, and seemed to be refraining from enveloping Harry in another hug. Harry wished he wouldn't restrain himself so much – although he felt childish, he still rather liked the feeling.  
  
"So, ah, how are we going to get there?" Harry asked, awkwardly breaking the silence.  
  
"We're just going to Apparate," Lupin replied, "If we hang on to all the stuff we want to bring with us, it should come with us."  
  
"Oh", Harry said. Lupin was looking at him with that odd gleam in his eye again, but Harry tried not to get too hopeful.  
  
"Harry", Lupin said, "May I –"  
  
"Yeah", Harry replied.  
  
Lupin hugged him again, and this time it was briefer, but tighter than Mrs. Weasley's. Harry found that he didn't mind. When Lupin released him, he smiled down at Harry, and Harry smiled back at him.  
  
"Well, got all your stuff? Hanging on tight? Want me to hold that cage for you? Want to go say goodbye to your family? Didn't think so. Yell down at them anyway," Lupin directed.  
  
Reluctantly Harry yelled a "Bye", down at the Dursleys, and after waiting about a minute with no response, he shrugged at Lupin.  
  
"Right", Lupin said, looking annoyed at the Dursleys, "Let's go". He put a firm hand on Harry's shoulder and they disappeared with a –pop-.  
  
They reappeared in a hallway of the Black house. Harry temporarily thought he was going to be sick. Everything cried out Sirius' name. Lupin squeezed his hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"I know, Harry", he said, looking as if he himself were about to be sick. "Everyone's in the living room. You can come in when you're ready, and until then you have the house to yourself."  
  
Harry smiled thankfully at Lupin. He couldn't say anything, but he knew Lupin understood. Lupin smiled down at him, ruffled his hair, and walked off towards the living room. Harry dragged his things up to his room and set them at the foot of his bed. On his bed lay Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Sugar Quills, and various other candies, some which bore the label of Fred and George's new joke shop. He turned and walked out of the room, not really knowing where he was going until he got there. Sirius' room. He turned the knob and entered. The bed had been made, and it looked as if most of his things had been put away, but other than that, Sirius' mark was everywhere. Pictures of Harry lay on the nightstand, the dresser, and in various corners of the room. Harry's picture selves were looking worried and sad, but when he walked in they put up a good show of waving and smiling. Also lay pictures of his father and his mother, and of the Marauders – of course, Peter had been blasted out of these. Suddenly Harry noticed that one of his pictures was trying to get his attention. His picture self was flying around on his broomstick and waving his arms. Harry walked over, and his picture pointed excitedly behind itself. He peered behind it, but saw nothing. His picture self shook his head and pointed behind again. Harry reluctantly took it out of its frame and turned it over. There was a note on the back.  
  
_Sirius,  
  
Yes, I have finally gotten you a picture of your godson. Do you see what an excellent flyer he is? Just like James, in many, many ways. Now you have no excuse to threaten me at wandpoint every time we meet to get a picture of Harry for you. I assure you, I will get more – I wouldn't risk your anger by not doing so. Now, please stop sending me owls every five minutes threatening to hex me if I don't get you a picture.  
  
Sincerely,   
__Albus Dumbledore_  
  
Harry grinned. He could imagine Sirius threatening Dumbledore to get pictures of him. For the first time in weeks, the thought of Sirius didn't make Harry feel like breaking down into a wreck. Instead, he felt oddly empowered by the fact that Sirius had loved him so much. _Lestrange will pay_, he told himself. The thought of Sirius' killer sent an electric wave of hatred through Harry. He wanted to kill her himself, but he wouldn't care who killed her as long as she died a painful death. He put his picture back in the frame and thanked his picture self before exiting.  
  
When he walked into the hallway he nearly had a heart attack. Right in front of him was Snape. Snape looked just as surprised to see him, and if Harry didn't know any better, he would have sworn that Snape jumped. "Potter", he snarled, as if he had been waiting for an opportunity to corner Harry. But suddenly, he looked thoughtful. "Good...afternoon," he said slowly, "I'm sorry to have – gotten in your way." He looked as if every decent word he spoke towards Harry was causing him pain. He turned and headed down the stairs in the direction of the living room. Harry stared after him in shock. He sat on the top step of the stairs, listening to the chatter going on in the living room behind the partially closed door. He couldn't catch any particular conversation, but he heard laughing and happiness. _How can they be happy when Sirius is dead?_ he asked himself. He felt anger rising up in him and nearly burst in there to start screaming at them, but stopped himself when he caught sight of Lupin through the door. Lupin was standing with a forced smile on his face – Harry couldn't see who he was talking to. But he knew that Lupin felt the same way as him, and he felt himself relax once more. Lupin suddenly turned, as if he sensed Harry's eyes on him, and smiled at Harry. Harry smiled back, and suddenly felt ready to leave his stair step.  
  
He walked down the stairs and pushed open the door to the living room. Every mouth stopped moving, every eye fixed on him. Just as suddenly, cries of "Harry's back!" and, "He's here!" filled the room as nearly every person in the room ran forward to give him a hug. The first person to reach him was Hermione, and his vision was temporarily impaired by her hair, but she was soon pushed out of the way by the others. He lost track of who was hugging him at what time. Finally, everyone backed away, looking at him with concern. The room was completely silent. He knew everyone was wondering if he was going to break into tears over Sirius or begin yelling at all of them for no apparent reason. He realized for the first time that Dumbledore was in the room as he looked into his sparkling blue eyes. He didn't feel as mad at Dumbledore as he had over the summer, although he was still debating just how much Dumbledore's fault it was that Sirius had died. He decided that for now he was okay with him.  
  
"Hi", he said to everyone, grinning a bit sheepishly. The room filled with cheers as everyone shouted their hellos back at him. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George surrounded him and began to tell him of what had happened while he was gone, Fred and George even filled him in on what they were planning for their joke shop. Various adults, including Tonks, Moody, Mr. Weasley, and Dumbledore himself came to become filled in on Harry's happenings. Finally, Mrs. Weasley made her voice heard above the chatter. "Children!" she said, "Time for bed!" At their protesting looks, she rambled on, "Harry's had a long day, and so have you. You all need to get to bed now. Fred and George, that includes you." As they went up the stairs, Fred grumbled, "They just want to talk about who's having tonight's guard duty while we're not there." "Definitely", George agreed, "But let's see if some Extendable Ears won't do the trick." Grinning, everybody followed Fred and George and grabbed some Extendable Ears. Soon, they were listening to Dumbledore call everyone to order.  
  
"May I have your attention, please?" Dumbledore requested. Immediately there was complete silence. "Now, is there anybody who is particularly interested in tonight's duty?" After a second, he said, "Now Severus, I really don't think you've gotten enough sleep yet."

To everyone's surprise, Snape argued. "I have, headmaster", he protested, "I feel fully rested."  
  
"A Pepper-Up potion won't fool me Severus", Dumbledore replied. Snape made no answer.  
  
"Arthur, I believe you could do it. You took a rather long nap this afternoon, didn't you?"  
  
"Yes, sir", Mr. Weasley replied.  
  
"Very well then, Arthur, you may go as soon as Kingsley returns." At that moment there was a loud crack.  
  
"Ah, Kingsley, welcome back", Dumbledore said, "How did it go?"  
  
"Very well", Kingsley's deep voice boomed respectfully.  
  
"Good, good", Dumbledore replied, "Arthur, we shall see you in the morning."  
  
He was answered by a small pop as Mr. Weasley disapparated.  
  
Lupin's voice was the next to be heard. "I believe I'm going to retire a bit early tonight", he informed the other adults.  
  
"Very well", Dumbledore replied, "We shall see you in the morning. Severus, you would do well to accompany him."  
  
"You guys had better go", Fred and George said suddenly. Quickly, everyone reeled in their Extendable Ears and ran to their respectful rooms. Nobody wanted to be caught eavesdropping by Snape.  
  
"So what do you reckon, Harry?" Ron asked as they slid into bed, "What are they guarding that Snape, of all people, wants to be around so bad?"  
  
"I don't know, but it can't be alive", Harry replied, "I mean, Snape hates humans."  
  
Ron snorted. "That's for sure", he agreed.  
  
"Actually", Harry said, "He was almost decent to me today." He related to Ron what Snape had said to him in the hall.  
  
"Yeah", Ron said thoughtfully, "I suppose he has been pretty decent to everyone lately. Dumbledore probably told him he would never get guard duty again unless he was nice to people."  
  
At this they both began to laugh. Suddenly, the doorknob turned. They quickly shut up. Lupin poked his head in.  
  
"Harry, Dumbledore wanted me to remind you to practice your Occlumency tonight", he said, "And he wanted me to remind both of you to get a good night's sleep", he added, eyes twinkling as he looked at their guilty faces that weren't completely wiped of smiles. They both nodded. As Lupin shut the door, Harry realized how tired he really was.  
  
"G'night", he mumbled sleepily. He was answered by a huge snore from Ron. He weakly tried to clear his mind, and wasn't quite sure if he had succeeded when he fell asleep.


	2. Guarding Silver

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowlings characters, places, items, ect. So please, don't sue me. :)

**--------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 2 – Guarding Silver**  
  
When Harry awoke, he was surprised to find that he felt truly happy. Ron was still asleep, so he got dressed and went downstairs on his own. He heard voices in the kitchen, and decided to go and see how long until breakfast was ready. He had only taken a step through the door when he regretted his decision. Dumbledore, Mrs. Weasley, and Snape were all arguing, all of them looking furious with the exception of Dumbledore, who looked minorly aggravated.  
  
"I tell you, I'm rested!" Snape roared.  
  
"Severus, calm yourself, you should be ashamed!" Mrs. Weasley reprimanded, "Your turn will come soon enough, but you can't disappear for _two days_ and expect two nights of sleep – if you really are asleep and not plotting your next argument – to be enough for you to go back."  
  
"Damn it!" Snape yelled, "I'm rested!"  
  
Dumbledore caught sight of Harry, and immediately Harry wished he knew how to disapparate.  
  
"Good morning, Harry", he said in a cheerful voice, which somehow did not sound fake at all.  
  
"Morning", Harry mumbled.  
  
Mrs. Weasley and Snape turned to look at him.  
  
"Morning, Harry darling", Mrs. Weasley said, pushing past Snape, "Are you hungry? Eggs, bacon, toast?"  
  
"Yes, please", Harry replied as his stomach rumbled. Snape was looking at him with venom, but not saying a word. Finally, Snape turned to look at Dumbledore.  
  
"Headmaster, I insist I am allowed to go", he said, although his voice was much more controlled than it had been a moment ago.  
  
"Very well, Severus", Dumbledore sighed, "Just please come back when you're supposed to this time. That means nine o' clock, sharp." Dumbledore fixed Snape with one of his piercing stares.  
  
"Yes, sir", Snape replied, sounding pleased. With another venomous look at Harry, he sat down next to the head of the table.  
  
Dumbledore also took a seat, at the head of the table by Snape.  
  
"Please, sit down, Harry", he invited. Harry uncertainly made for the chair closest to him, but Dumbledore intervened. "No, no", he said, "Please, up here", he said, pointing to the chair opposite Snape. Harry obediently complied, trying not to look Snape in the face as he sat down. He could feel the piercing stare Snape was giving him, however, and he stared down at his empty plate as if it were the most intriguing thing he had ever seen.  
  
"Did you sleep well last night, Harry?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.  
  
Harry gratefully looked up into his eyes. "Yes, sir", he replied, "I haven't had any dreams all summer."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "Very good", he said. After a moment he spoke to Mrs. Weasley, who was lovingly buttering toast for Harry. "Molly, would you be so kind as to awaken Ron and Miss Granger?" he asked, "Tell them I wish to speak to them with Harry."  
  
Mrs. Weasley loaded Harry's food onto his plate and nodded. "Of course," she said. She gave Dumbledore and Snape their breakfast and set out two plates of food for Ron and Hermione. She threw Snape a threatening glare as she left the room, and he sneered back at her.  
  
Dumbledore looked amused. Harry glanced at him questioningly, but Dumbledore shook his head ever so slightly. Harry immersed himself in his breakfast, realizing that he hadn't had lunch or dinner the previous day. He stuffed his mouth at an amazing speed, and when he finally looked up, Dumbledore was looking at him admiringly. Harry would have grinned if he could have managed it with such a full mouth.  
  
"Hungry, Potter?" Snape smirked.  
  
Harry swallowed the mouthful with great difficulty and glared at Snape.  
  
"I must say", Dumbledore said, "_That_ is a good appetite. When was the last time you ate?"  
  
"Around 6:30 yesterday morning", Harry admitted as he stuffed the last of the toast into his mouth.  
  
"Well that explains it then", Dumbledore replied brightly. Snape coughed suspiciously. Harry glared at him a minute before clearing his plate spectacularly by stuffing the last of his eggs and bacon in his mouth at once. Dumbledore clapped politely and Snape had a suspicious coughing fit again.  
  
Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Hermione appeared in the kitchen. Ron and Hermione looked sleepy, but interested. They turned to Dumbledore.  
  
"Eat, eat", he encouraged them. They sat down; Ron got stuck next to Snape. Ron looked at Harry's plate a minute and then turned to Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"Mum," he said, "Why didn't you feed Harry?"  
  
Mrs. Weasley turned sharply. "What do you mean why didn't I feed...Harry! Where's all your food gotten to?" She eyed Snape and Dumbledore suspiciously as if she thought they had snatched Harry's food away. Dumbledore looked at her innocently as he took a polite-sized bite of his eggs. Snape smirked at Harry.  
  
"I finished it", Harry replied.  
  
"You WHAT?" she exclaimed.  
  
"Finished it", Harry said, looking up at her blank expression. "I ate all of it", he explained.  
  
"You ate it _all_?" she asked, gazing at his plate in awe.  
  
"Yes", he confirmed. Then a bit meekly, he added, "May I have seconds?"  
  
"Certainly", she replied, still sounding a bit fazed as she took his plate.  
  
Harry looked hungrily at the other's plates as they ate. He was still very hungry. Lupin walked in, looking well-rested.  
  
"Good morning, Harry", he greeted.  
  
"Morning", Harry replied cheerfully.  
  
Dumbledore gave Lupin a pointed look.  
  
"Oh, sorry. Good morning everyone", he corrected himself.  
  
Everyone mumbled good morning back except for Snape, who tried to make it look as if he didn't want to talk with his mouth full.  
  
"Hungry, Remus?" Mrs. Weasley asked.  
  
"Very, Molly", he replied, "And I think one of your delicious breakfasts may very well do the trick."  
  
Mrs. Weasley gave him an approving smile and, in a few minutes, provided both him and Harry with plates brimming full of food. Harry immediately began eating as if he hadn't seen food in a year, while the others watched in a kind of stupor. He glanced up to see that they had all stopped eating to watch him. Lupin had a sly smile on his face as he looked at Harry.  
  
"Ut? Is ood", Harry said. Snape had another coughing fit.  
  
"Indeed", Lupin said, "It is very good."  
  
"Cough drop, Severus?" Dumbledore offered politely.  
  
"No thank you, Headmaster", Snape replied.  
  
Everyone returned to their food, with the exception of Harry, because he had never stopped eating. Harry finally finished, feeling well-fed for the first time in a while, and gulped down some orange juice.  
  
"Any more, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley offered.  
  
"No thanks, I'm full", Harry replied, leaning back in his chair and feeling very full, indeed. He glanced around to see that not even Dumbledore or Snape had finished their first serving yet. He couldn't help but smile.  
  
Suddenly, with a loud crack, Mr. Weasley appeared. He looked tired but content.  
  
"Arthur!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, running forward to give him a hug and leaving the eggs unattended.  
  
"Morning, Molly", Mr. Weasley replied, and then, "Good morning, everyone."  
  
"Morning!" Harry replied brightly.  
  
Mr. Weasley eyed him for a second and then asked, "Molly, why haven't you fed the poor boy?"  
  
"Why does everyone think I've been neglecting Harry?" Mrs. Weasley demanded, "The boy has had firsts and seconds, for your information."  
  
"Oh", Mr. Weasley replied, looking amused, "Were you a bit hungry, Harry?"  
  
"Just a bit", Harry replied, grinning.  
  
Mr. Weasley grinned at him before answering Mrs. Weasley's unspoken question as she walked up to him with a plate brimming with food. "No thanks, Molly", he said, "I'm going to get some sleep." He turned to Dumbledore. "Who's on duty?" he asked.  
  
Snape stood up. "Me", he replied, and then, with a pop, he disappparated.  
  
"_Again_?" Mr. Weasley asked in surprise.  
  
"He insisted", Dumbledore replied.  
  
"He didn't even finish breakfast", Mr. Weasley said, gesturing to Snape's mostly-eaten breakfast.  
  
"I suspect he will find something to eat", Dumbledore replied.  
  
"So, dad, how was guard duty?" Ron asked suddenly.  
  
Not looking surprised in the least, Mr. Weasley replied, "Good, thank you, son."  
  
"What is it you're guarding again?" Ron asked, trying to sound as if he had just forgotten. Harry got the feeling it wasn't the first time Ron had tried this.  
  
Mr. Weasley shook his head and headed off to his room. Mrs. Weasley looked slightly disappointed that he hadn't eaten, but put a heating charm on his breakfast so that it would be ready when he got back. Ron looked very disappointed and continued eating his breakfast. Lupin chuckled, shaking his head slightly.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore, sir", Hermione said hesitantly.  
  
Dumbledore turned towards her expectantly. "I am all ears, Miss Granger", he said pleasantly.  
  
"Why did you call us down here?" Hermione asked respectfully.  
  
Mrs. Weasley turned from cleaning Harry and Snape's plate to hear the answer.  
  
"I thought Harry would enjoy your company", Dumbledore replied cheerfully.  
  
Hermione and Ron looked slightly put out. "Oh", Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah right", Harry countered. Ron and Hermione looked up at him in shock. Harry, however, was looking at Dumbledore. He was certain that Dumbledore was joking.  
  
"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, "That is no way to speak to your headmaster! Most disrespectful!"  
  
"On the contrary, Molly", Dumbledore replied, "Harry was doing nothing wrong. I daresay our relationship surpasses the student-teacher boundaries. And anyhow, he was right. I was merely toying with his friend's minds."  
  
Mrs. Weasley looked surprised, and replied with the same small "Oh" that Hermione had given.  
  
Harry grinned. "So?" he prompted Dumbledore.  
  
"Well", Dumbledore said, giving Harry, Ron, and Hermione a calculating look, "I daresay you three know the reputation you have for solving mysteries." The trio exchanged a glance, and Dumbledore continued. "I also know that you are probably very interested in what we are guarding at the moment." Harry, Ron, and Hermione instantly scooted to the edges of their seats, leaning closer to Dumbledore. _He's going to tell us_, Harry thought excitedly. "I must ask you not to try and solve this mystery, however", Dumbledore said. He gave them each a piercing stare in turn. "You will find out before the summer is over, I daresay, but I do not want you to find out before I see fit, and for good reason. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes", they all mumbled disappointedly, slumping back in their chairs.  
  
Dumbledore smiled at them. "Don't be too disappointed, you may find out sooner than you think", he said. They all gave him despairing looks, which only made him smile more. "Thank you for breakfast, Molly, it was spectacular", Dumbledore said, rising.  
  
"Anytime, Albus", Molly replied fondly.  
  
As soon as Dumbledore left, Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances. Harry was suddenly feeling very disappointed and sad, without really knowing why. He got up, feeling a sudden desire to go somewhere, although where, he didn't know. Without an explanation, he got up and went upstairs. He was walking toward his room when he suddenly turned and began to walk down the hallway. He only realized where he was going when he got there. He slowly turned the knob and walked into Sirius' bedroom again. In all the pictures of him, he was either sleeping or gone. One particular picture caught his eye, however. His mother, father, Sirius, and Lupin were waving at him cheerfully. He picked up the picture and fell onto Sirius' bed looking at it. His mom blew him a kiss and his father gave him a thumbs-up sign. Sirius winked at him for no apparent reason, and Lupin simply beamed. Harry found himself smiling wistfully up at them. Suddenly there was a soft knock at the door. Harry sat up on the bed as Lupin let himself in. He came and sat down next to Harry and gazed at the picture he was holding.  
  
"That's one of my favorites, too", Lupin said fondly.  
  
"I miss them", Harry said, as a familiar wave of guilt, sadness, and frustration washed over him.  
  
"Me too", said Lupin, putting an arm around Harry's shoulders, "I know how you feel, Harry."  
  
"Thanks", Harry said quietly. Lupin released him and for a moment they stared down at the picture.  
  
"I was never very photogenic", Lupin said.  
  
Harry looked thoughtfully down at the picture. Lupin's picture self did look a bit shy. "I think you look nice", Harry replied.  
  
Lupin smiled. "Thanks, Harry", he said.  
  
Suddenly there was another knock at the door.  
  
"Harry?" Hermione asked as she opened the door. She peeked her head in, as did Ron, but they both withdrew a few steps when they saw Harry and Lupin. "Sorry", Hermione said quickly. Ron nodded his agreement. "We'll wait for you in the living room", Hermione added. Ron was looking around the room at all the pictures of Harry. "Ron", Hermione said exasperatedly. As she shut the door, Harry vaguely heard Ron saying, "He really loved Harry, didn't he?"  
  
Harry's feelings towards Ron's comment were mixed. He was happy that Sirius had loved him, but sad and frustrated that Sirius was gone.  
  
"Lupin", Harry said, "Sirius never actually told me that he loved me, and I never told him." It had been bothering Harry for quite some time, but he hadn't wanted to tell anyone.  
  
"Oh yes you did, Harry", Lupin replied, "And so did he. Look around – his room is a shrine to you. And you showed that you wanted to protect him as much as he did you. He knew, Harry. It was what got him through many days alone in this house. And you know he loved you, don't you?"  
  
"Yes", Harry replied. He fiercely fought back the tears that threatened to come. Lupin placed a hand on his shoulder, and he lost his grip on himself. Tears spilled down his cheeks. He got up and began to run for the door. He wanted to run out of this house, out of his whole life. Lupin caught him and pulled him down onto the bed.  
  
"You can't run, Harry", he said.  
  
Harry knew it, but he didn't want to admit it. Lupin sat with him, his hands firmly on Harry's shaking shoulders, until the tears subsided. Harry was grateful Lupin wasn't smothering him with hugs the way Mrs. Weasley was sure to have done. Then, for a while they just sat there. Harry wouldn't have minded sitting in Lupin's company the whole day, but Lupin suddenly straightened and patted his back.  
  
"Your friends are waiting for you", he reminded him.  
  
"Yeah", Harry said reluctantly.  
  
"If you need me, you know where to find me", he said.  
  
Harry nodded and headed downstairs. When he arrived in the living room, he found Hermione and Ron sitting looking elated. Next to them was a pair of Extendable Ears. They pulled him down and began talking so fast he only barely realized what they were saying.  
  
"-found out what they're guarding!"   
"-a girl! Snape wants to be with a girl!"   
"-named Silver-"   
"-do you reckon Snape _fancies_ her?"   
"-our age-"   
"-maybe it's his daughter-"  
  
"Oh Ron, will you shut up about Snape?" Hermione said exasperatedly.  
  
"Well why on earth would Snape want to guard a _girl_?" Ron persisted.  
  
Harry processed the information as fast as he could. The adults were guarding a girl their age named Silver – and Snape had taken an odd interest in her.  
  
"Well, Ron, maybe Snape has feelings", Hermione said.  
  
Ron snorted. "Next you'll be saying he's human", he retorted.  
  
"It's possible", she insisted.  
  
"Not really", Harry replied.  
  
She glared at them, but then brightened. "The point is, we've found out what they're guarding!"  
  
The three exchanged an elated glance.  
  
"We have to meet her", Hermione said, "We just have to find out where they're disapparating to. Let's see if Dumbledore and Moody are still talking about it."  
  
"Sounds like a plan!" Ron answered.  
  
"Let's get to it", Harry replied.  
  
Giving each other mischievous glances, they grabbed the Extendable Ears and began to listen.


	3. The Visitor

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowlings people, places, things...ect.

**--------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter 3 – The Visitor**  
  
A week had passed since Harry, Ron, and Hermione had found out what the adults were guarding. Since then, they had found it very amusing whenever Snape raised heck for guard duty, which turned out to be quite often. They still hadn't found out where the girl was being hidden, although Ron had suggested running up and grabbing on to them while they Disapparated, Harry and Hermione had found that a bad idea for more than one reason.  
  
At the moment, they were all sitting down in the living room listening to Snape roar at Dumbledore, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Moody, Tonks, Lupin, and Kingsley, the only people in the room other than themselves.  
  
"It's _my_ turn", Snape was saying furiously, sounding a bit like a child wanting to play with a toy.  
  
"No it's not, you big git", Moody replied, multiplying Snape's fury a hundred fold, "You've been going every other day."  
  
"And I didn't go yesterday, so that would make today mine", Snape answered, both his voice and his stare cutting.  
  
"Be reasonable, Severus", Kingsley's deep voice boomed, "You can't have gotten enough sleep."  
  
"I've slept enough for all of you idiots put together!" Snape roared.  
  
At this, Dumbledore fixed Snape with a piercing stare.  
  
"Sorry, Headmaster, you're not an idiot", Snape mumbled, staring at the floor.  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Harry burst into laughter. Snape turned on them and walked over. He towered over them, a sneer on his face.  
  
"Just _what_ do you think is so funny?" he asked, so angry that he couldn't even bring himself to yell.  
  
"Oh nothing, just the fact that you're so infatuated with her", Ron replied. For a moment, nobody realized the implications of what he had just said except for Hermione, who clapped a hand to her mouth.  
  
"I am _not_ infatu-"Snape began, but suddenly realization dawned in his eyes. "What did you just say?" he asked.  
  
Ron's face turned a brilliant shade of magenta. "Nothing", he muttered.  
  
"Really, Mr. Weasley, I insist you repeat your sentence", Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry felt truly sorry for Ron, who cringed under Dumbledore's stare.  
  
"I said –"Ron whispered, "that it was funny that he was so..." Ron's whisper faded as he finished his sentence, but it was enough to let Dumbledore know that he had heard correctly.  
  
"So!" Snape roared triumphantly, looking as though Christmas had come early.  
  
"Severus", Dumbledore said, "Get on duty. Now."  
  
Looking disappointed that he couldn't see the trio get yelled at, but at the same time triumphant about getting duty, Snape Disapparated. Harry cringed – Dumbledore's stare was now not only directed at Ron, but at all of them. He felt Hermione slide down in her seat as well. Everyone in the room looked shocked, and everyone was fixing them with stares as piercing as Dumbledore's.  
  
"You know," Dumbledore said. It wasn't a question, but they all nodded miserably. "After the talk I had with you." They all nodded again.  
  
"Harry?" this time it was Lupin's voice. It was filled with shock. Harry miserably looked up and met Lupin's shocked eyes. "You directly went against Dumbledore's wishes?"  
  
Harry cringed. "Well, not directly", he said. Half of him wanted to cry out, "They told me, it's all their fault!" but the other half of him knew that it wouldn't be fair. He had soaked up the information and used the Extendable Ears with them right away.  
  
"Why?" Lupin asked.  
  
All Harry could manage was a shrug. He met Lupin's eyes for a moment, and saw them fill with something – protectiveness? Although Harry hadn't said a word, Lupin seemed to have come to a decision about something. Lupin looked at Dumbledore, who was looking at the trio gravely, and strode to Harry's side. He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry was shocked. Lupin knew that he had disobeyed Dumbledore, but here he was, ready to defend him. _Sirius would have done the same_, Harry thought. He had a feeling his father would have, too. Harry sat up straighter, feeling strengthened under Lupin's hand.  
  
Dumbledore watched the scene with mixed emotions. Lupin was helping Harry heal well, he observed. He could tell from looking at Harry that Sirius had crossed his mind, but instead of retreating further, Harry had straightened, and now looked more ready than either of his friends to talk to Dumbledore.  
  
"What do you know?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"We know that you're guarding a girl, our age, named Silver, and that Snape has some weird obsession with her", Harry replied promptly. Lupin squeezed his shoulder, but Harry didn't know if it was out of reassurance, shock, or a warning not to press the Snape matter. He decided to take it as all of them.  
  
Dumbledore looked at Harry and came very close to telling him that he was proud of him. Harry had character and boldness that radiated off of him at all times. He was so much like James. Dumbledore knew it didn't have to be said, however, because judging from the look on Lupin's face, Lupin was thinking exactly the same thing. Harry would probably want to hear it from Lupin, anyway.  
  
"That is all you know?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Harry nodded, and this time he knew that the squeeze Lupin gave his shoulder was meant to be reassuring.  
  
Dumbledore gazed at the trio intently for a moment, and saw Lupin step protectively closer to Harry while looking as though he was going to squeeze the boy's shoulder off.  
  
"Well, it's not much, is it?" he asked, a familiar sparkle entering his eyes.  
  
It took a moment for Harry to realize that he was teasing them. Harry smiled with pure relief. Next to him, Ron looked at him as if he were crazy, and Lupin was still trying to break his shoulder off, or so it seemed.  
  
"Guys", Harry said, "He's not mad." He said it as if it were common knowledge and everyone should know it. He felt Lupin lighten up his grip on his now numb shoulder and wondered if his hand hurt from squeezing that hard.  
  
"No, I'm not", Dumbledore agreed, "Although I am a bit disappointed in you for disobeying my orders." He turned to Harry, "Although what can I expect from James' son?" he added. Harry grinned, Ron and Hermione gaped, and Lupin took up his death grip on Harry's shoulder once more.  
  
Dumbledore looked over his shoulder at the other members of the Order, who looked as shocked as Hermione and Ron. "Would one of you kindly close the door?" he asked politely, "And please put an Imperturbable Charm around it as well. I think our young sleuths need to hear the full story."  
  
Harry pushed Ron into Hermione. "Scoot over", he ordered.  
  
"Well, only since you asked so nicely," Hermione replied sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry," Harry said, and then, turning to look up at Lupin, "Sit."  
  
Lupin smiled. "In a giving-orders mood today, Harry?"  
  
"Guess so", Harry replied. Truthfully, he was feeling good for no apparent reason. I_ have the weirdest mood swings_, he thought ruefully. Over the past week he found he was either in a great mood or in tears over Sirius. Sirius' bedroom had become his retreat. Or rather, he and Lupin's. He liked having Lupin there, though, to talk things over with. He always seemed to have excellent advice.  
  
Once the door was closed and the spell cast, Dumbledore turned to the waiting trio.  
  
"Now, what I am about to explain to you will not leave this room under any circumstances", he said. They all nodded gravely, and he knew that this time they would obey him. He flicked his wand, and a cushy armchair sped over to him just in time to catch him as he sat down. The other members of the Order in the room found seats as well, some of them looking eager to hear the story from him.  
  
"Well, this girl that we are guarding, Silver", he explained, "We are currently hiding. There are a number of death eaters after her, for a few reasons. One, she knows much about the Dark Side but does not have the Dark Mark for them to call her back to them. Two, her mother is outraged, and is among the closest to Lord Voldemort; therefore, they will follow nearly any order from her, and the order has been given to find her daughter. Three, Silver has been blessed with a very special gift – the ability to converse with animals both mentally and through normal speech. As you can guess, this would have come in very handy to the Dark Side. And four, they know that hear death would come as a very personal blow to me."  
  
Dumbledore stopped and gauged their reactions. They all looked interested, Miss Granger more so.  
  
"Excuse me sir", she said, "But what about her father?"  
  
Dumbledore looked at Hermione with a glint of sadness. "That", he stated, "Is a very personal question, and one you would have to ask her yourself."  
  
For a moment Miss Granger looked disappointed, and then excited. "So we get to meet her?" she asked. He smiled, "Yes, eventually you will. But for now, we are content with where we are currently keeping her.  
  
"What about Snape?" Ron asked suddenly, "Why is he so obsessed with her?"  
  
Dumbledore looked at Mr. Weasley for a moment before replying with the same cryptic answer he gave Hermione. "That is a very personal question, and one which you would have to ask Professor Snape yourself, although I wouldn't recommend it."  
  
"Hmph", Ron replied. Harry could only imagine the ideas going through Ron's head at that very moment.  
  
"Well," Mrs. Weasley said brightly, "It's time for lunch. What do you all feel like?"  
  
For a moment, everyone just stared at her. She beamed sunnily back at them.  
  
"Sandwiches?" she suggested.  
  
Roars of "Yes!" rang out around the room.  
  
"Alright then, I'll call you all when it's ready", she said, walking out of the room. She had barely taken a step out when they heard her yell, "Oh, I SEE!"  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all ran to the door. Fred, George, and Ginny had been trying to get the Extendable Ears to work, but Mrs. Weasley had caught them. As the three trudged upstairs, they heard her yells, "- EAVESDROPPING!" She was suddenly joined, however, by Sirius' mom's portrait in the hallway.  
  
"-FILTHY MUDBLOODS, SCUM OF THE EARTH-"   
"-_THIS_ IS WHY I NEVER TELL YOU ANYTHING-"   
"-TRAITORS, THE LOT OF THEM-"   
"-CAN'T MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS-"  
  
Lupin and Moody quickly fixed the portrait, and Mrs. Weasley's yells alone filled the house.  
  
"THOUGHT YOU'D JUST HAVE A LISTEN-IN, DID YOU? WELL –"  
  
Ron shut the door with finality as the three entered Ron and Harry's room.  
  
"I'm surprised she didn't yell at us for finding out", he said, grinning.  
  
"Well, no, she wouldn't after Dumbledore practically said it was alright. And she wouldn't dare yell at Harry after those looks Lupin gave everyone who looked at Harry like he'd ever done anything wrong in his life", Hermione said practically.  
  
"He's cool, isn't he?" Harry grinned.  
  
Hermione and Ron smiled at him.  
  
"I think he'll take care of you," Ron replied, "So anyway, _Snape_."  
  
"What about him, Ron?" Hermione asked exasperatedly, "What about meeting her? She sounds so – interesting."  
  
"What's more interesting is what Snape wants to do with any human being", Ron replied.  
  
Harry stretched out on his bed as the two bickered it out. He thought this girl – Silver – sounded interesting, appealing even. He wondered if she was pretty, and he thought momentarily of Cho. _Even if she is pretty, if she's anything like that – girl – she's not for me_, Harry thought bitterly. He had had tons of fun with Cho in his daydreams, but in reality he wasn't remotely interested in her anymore. He thought it might be nice to have a girlfriend, though... _My lovelife's too pathetic to bother thinking about,_ he groaned silently to himself.  
  
"Earth to Harry", Hermione was saying impatiently.  
  
"Huh?" he grunted, lifting his head off the pillow.  
  
"Aren't I right?" she demanded.  
  
"Sure", he replied, laying his head back down.  
  
"WHAT?" Ron exclaimed, "What about me?"  
  
"I reckon you're both right", Harry replied.  
  
He heard Hermione snort disbelievingly. "You don't even know what we're talking about", she accused.  
  
"No", he admitted, "But all the same, I'm sure you're both right."  
  
He was rescued by Mrs. Weasley's call of, "LUNCH!"  
  
"Come on", he said, jumping off the bed and hurtling down the stairs two at a time.  
  
He arrived in the kitchen in a very good mood, something Lupin seemed to notice. He smiled at Harry, and Harry grinned back. Fred, George, and Ginny, who looked in a bad mood, saw him and quickly wiped the frowns off their faces. They looked surprised and curious.  
  
"What's up, Harry?" George asked curiously.  
  
"The sky", Harry replied cheerfully as he accepted a sandwich from a slightly surprised looking Mrs. Weasley.  
  
He watched as all his friends exchanged glances. Ron and Hermione shrugged; Fred, George, and Ginny shrugged back. He grinned and sat down between Lupin and Tonks.  
  
"Life treating you well, Harry?" Lupin asked.  
  
"Yup, for now", Harry replied, "You?"  
  
"Couldn't be anything less than happy when you're in such a good mood", he replied sincerely.  
  
Harry grinned at him and then turned his attention back to his sandwich, ignoring Tonks' look of wonder.  
  
He glanced over at his bewildered friends, who were looking at him as if they had never quite seen him before, and grinned at them. They smiled back, and Harry distinctly saw Fred turn to George and mouth the words, "Mood swings." At this, George nodded and smiled what he thought was innocently at Harry.  
  
Harry finished his food with Lupin, and Mrs. Weasley offered them seconds almost immediately.  
  
"No thank you, Molly", Lupin replied.  
  
"No thanks", Harry echoed.  
  
Mrs. Weasley smiled kindly at them and returned to her own lunch.  
  
"I think we should go shopping for school supplies tomorrow", she suggested.  
  
Harry glanced up interestedly. He hadn't realized it, but this house was getting a bit boring.  
  
"No, no, Molly dear", Dumbledore replied, "I really think we should wait a bit longer – until everybody is ready."  
  
Immediately all the adults nodded solemnly, and it took Harry a while to figure out that Dumbledore wanted to wait until Silver came. Then he, too, nodded, although he, Ron, and Hermione were grinning as they did so.  
  
"But we are ready", Ginny said, bewildered, "Right guys?"  
  
"No, I don't think I am", Harry replied, "Best to wait a while longer."  
  
Ron and Hermione echoed him at once.  
  
"Yes, best to wait..."   
"Really don't think I'm up to it so soon..."   
"Definitely need to wait a while longer..."   
"Not ready to face that quite yet..."  
  
Ginny, Fred and George, looking extremely confused, muttered something about Fred and George's joke shop, left the room.  
  
Soon the whole table was doubling over in laughter.  
  
"Good one, Harry!"   
"Never would've thought of that..."   
"Looks like they're handy after all, Dumbledore!"   
"Not so quick on the uptake, but really very bright once they get the picture", Lupin teased.  
  
"Hey, we just found out today!" Harry replied. At Lupin's look, he relented. "Okay, so technically we found out a week ago, but it's today that counts."  
  
More laughs followed this pronouncement, and Harry was in such a good mood by the end of it that he helped Mrs. Weasley clear the table. When he brought in the last dish, though, her eyes suddenly filled with tears and she pulled him close.  
  
"Darling boy", she said, sounding as if she were about to burst into tears, "Darling, darling boy."  
  
Mrs. Weasley had a knack of putting at least one of her arms right around Harry's neck, making it hard for him to breath. He had no idea what had inspired this sudden wave of emotion from her, but he figured it had to be a girl thing. _Deep...breaths,_ he told himself, trying to get either his nose or mouth away from her blouse so that he wasn't inhaling it while not wanting to pull away from the hug and hurt her feelings.  
  
"Mum, you're gonna kill him", Ron said, trying to pull her off of Harry.  
  
"Molly, at least let go his neck", Lupin said concernedly.  
  
Mrs. Weasley held him at arm's length, her eyes looking extremely bright.  
  
"Such a good boy", she said, and suddenly tears began to run down her cheeks. "And bright, and talented, and..." she gave a sob, "_adorable_." At this, she completely burst into tears.  
  
Harry blushed brightly.  
  
"Don't, um, cry", he said uncomfortably, rubbing his neck.  
  
She only sobbed harder.  
  
"Molly, what's the matter?" Tonks asked, pulling her into a chair. She had been given the job of folding up the tablecloth, and had been watching.  
  
"Just...look at him", Mrs. Weasley sobbed.  
  
Tonks turned to look at him, and Harry shrugged, but she didn't turn away.  
  
"He _is_ adorable", she said, suddenly looking as if she were going to cry.  
  
Harry was feeling extremely uncomfortable, and wished someone would hide him from view.  
  
"Honestly", Lupin said, stepping in front of him, "What is the matter with you two?"  
  
"It's just that he's so..." Tonks paused, "_cute_. He's had to go through so much..."  
  
She now sounded as if she were going to burst into hysterics along with Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"Well don't _cry_ about it", Lupin said reasonably, "Give the boy candy or something."  
  
Tonks' lower lip started to quiver, and Lupin turned to Harry. "Come on," he said, guiding Harry out of the room while shaking his head.  
  
When Harry went up to bed that night, he saw that Mrs. Weasley and Tonks had taken Lupin seriously. His bed was covered with all different sorts of candy and Mrs. Weasley's special homemade fudge. There were even some cookies that, according to the note on the box, Tonks had made herself.  
  
"I'll never finish all this", he muttered as he tried to stow it in places where people didn't have to walk.  
  
"Well, look on the bright side," Ron replied, "You have me to share it with."

------------------------------------------

The next few days passed uneventfully. It was eight o' clock on Friday evening, and Harry was playing chess with Ron while Hermione immersed herself in a book entitled: _Are You Ready for Advanced Transfiguration?_ They were in the living room, as was everybody else. Lupin was immensely enjoying watching Harry and Ron play chess, and over in the corner Dumbledore was conversing with Snape and Professor McGonagall, who had shown up the previous day to spend the remainder of her summer with them. Tonks was changing her appearance randomly for her enthusiastic audience of Fred, George, and Ginny. The rest of the people were just sitting around talking, excepting Kingsley, who was 'on duty'.  
  
A loud crack made everyone look up. Kingsley's eyes scanned the room until they locked onto Dumbledore's, and briefly, Snape's.  
  
"They've found her", he said breathlessly.  
  
Snape Disapparated with a pop.  
  
Dumbledore followed.  
  
The room was filled with silence for a second, before Lupin stood up and exchanged glances with Moody and Kingsley.  
  
"Stay here, Remus", Mr. Weasley said, "I'll go."  
  
Lupin looked as if he were about to protest, but Mr. Weasley interrupted.  
  
"The boy needs you."  
  
With that he, Moody, and Kingsley departed.  
  
"Stay, Tonks", Lupin directed as he sat back down. He and Tonks exchanged glances and Tonks sat down as well. "Well, I expect you'll be meeting Silver soon", he informed the trio, "Why don't you go tell them?" He gestured towards Ginny, Fred, and George, who were still too shocked to ask any questions, but looked as if they might start.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly filled them in, but other than their voices, there was complete silence in the room. Once they had finished, they sat and waited like everyone else. It was a horribly tense setting.  
  
Suddenly, with a loud crack, Kingsley appeared. He was followed shortly by Mr. Weasley. Right after that came Snape and Dumbledore, with a girl in the middle. Mr. Weasley had what looked like a black eye, Kingsley had a deep cut in his hand and a nasty bruise forming on his cheek, Dumbledore and Snape looked like they had each run a hundred mile marathon, and the girl was the only one who looked untouched. She was the most beautiful girl Harry had ever seen. She stood at about 5'4", and had dark brown hair with reddish highlights that shone every time she moved her head even a little bit. It fell down to just above her elbow. Her eyes were dark brown and expressive – and untrusting. She possessed a certain feminine grace and style that Harry had not seen any girl achieve before. She held herself in a cool, collected manner. Suddenly she looked at Harry. Harry felt an electric current connect them for a brief moment. He looked into her cautious, guarded eyes, and saw fear and loneliness behind the wall she had put up. He felt her looking into him, as well, and he attempted to hide something – although he wasn't sure what. He knew she had seen it, and suddenly felt very vulnerable. She looked away, and he was suddenly aware that everybody in the room was staring at him. He tore his eyes off away from her with difficulty and found himself looking into Snape's eyes. Snape was looking at him with five times his usual loathing – Harry had no trouble breaking eye contact with him.  
  
Dumbledore cleared his throat suddenly, causing everyone to jump and look at him.  
  
"For those of you who don't know her," he said, his voice quietly commanding respect, "This is Silver. She is a permanent resident here for the rest of the summer. She will be sleeping in Miss Granger and Miss Weasley's room. I expect you all," his eyes flickered over to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, "To make her feel welcome."  
  
He turned to Silver. "You will find you are quite safe here," he told her quietly, "Now Severus and I must go back and get your things."  
  
Silver looked horrified at the prospect. She turned to Snape as if to verify.  
  
"We must go", Snape told her, and Harry noticed that there was no trace of sarcasm or harshness in his voice.  
  
She nodded, but still looked terrified.  
  
Dumbledore reached out and tugged on a lock of her hair. Harry found himself wishing he could do the same. "Remus is here," Dumbledore informed her, "As well as Kingsley and Arthur." She brightened a bit.  
  
Dumbledore looked over at Kingsley and Mr. Weasley and turned back to her. "However, you will stay with Remus, because Kingsley and Arthur are wounded. They will be being attended to in the kitchen if you should need them."  
  
Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Kingsley, and Mr. Weasley all exited on cue.  
  
Lupin stood and made his way over to the girl. He put his hand on her shoulder as Dumbledore and Snape Disapparated.  
  
"Come," he told her gently, steering her back towards the kids. She obediently allowed him to guide her.  
  
Harry was half pleased and half scared when Lupin sat her down in between him and Harry. He gave Harry a pointed look.  
  
"Um," Harry began. She looked up at him and he found that it only took a second for him to lose himself in her eyes.  
  
"I'm Potter" he murmured, "I mean Harry. Potter Harry. No, Harry Potter." He blushed furiously as he spoke, but he couldn't for the life of him get anything he said to make sense.  
  
"I'm...Silver," she replied. Harry saw confusion lingering in her eyes, although he didn't know why.  
  
Harry briefly wondered if she liked his eyes, too. He nearly asked her when Ron interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"I'm Ron", he said, "Weasley." Harry didn't need to look at him to tell that he was goggling at her.  
  
Fred and George had similar troubles introducing themselves – Fred practically drooled on George, and George got his and Fred's names mixed up. Silver regarded them coolly and introduced herself with poise and guardedness.  
  
"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione spoke up suddenly. There was a pertness to her voice that woke Harry out of his half-trance over her eyes. He glanced at Hermione to see, to his surprise, that she wasn't smiling at Silver.  
  
For a moment, there was an awkward silence. Harry looked into Silver's eyes and saw immediately the hurt Hermione's cold greeting had given her. He nearly punched Hermione when Ginny interrupted.  
  
"I'm Ginny Weasley," she offered with a warm smile. Harry swore he saw a smile in Silver's eyes as she replied, "Silver."  
  
Lupin was glaring at Hermione. Hermione gave him a withering look and then picked up her book and began to read.  
  
"Sorry about Hermione", Ron said loudly, "She's not usually this rude."  
  
Hermione looked up and gave Ron an icy look. "I'm going to bed," she announced, getting up and walking out of the room with her nose in the air.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked nobody in particular.  
  
"I don't think she likes me," Silver commented in her particularly breathtaking voice.  
  
"I can't see why not," Ginny replied boldly.  
  
Silver gave Ginny a shy smile as Harry wondered why he hadn't thought to say that. "Thank you," she said. Ginny smiled back at her.  
  
"You have a big family," Silver commented, glancing at Fred, George, and Ron, "Do you only have brothers?" Silver looked as if she were trying very hard at making conversation, and immediately everyone jumped in to help her.  
  
Ginny complained about having so many brothers while Fred, George, and Ron complained about having a little sister. Fred and George were very insistent in saying that Harry was somehow Ron's twin.  
  
"Don't you see the resemblance?" George asked seriously, mischief in his eyes.  
  
Silver looked at Harry and Ron and laughed. Her laughter made Harry feel as though he had just taken a sip of butterbeer.  
  
Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Kingsley, and Mr. Weasley walked back into the room, Kingsley sporting a bandage on his hand, and Mr. Weasley a patch over his eye that made him look rather like a pirate. Mr. Weasley caught Silver's eye and gave her a well-acted, "ARR!" that made her laugh, lifting Harry's spirits as she did so.  
  
"I think it's time for you children to get to bed," Mrs. Weasley announced. She looked around a moment, and then added, "Where's Hermione?"  
  
Harry watched as the laughter left Silver's eyes and a wall took its place.  
  
"She left", Ron said awkwardly, "She wanted to read her book."  
  
Mrs. Weasley looked surprised, but said nothing. "Right then, run along to bed now, everyone but the twins", she said, shooting Silver a smile.  
  
Fred and George wished them all a goodnight as they left and the four walked up the stairs, Silver a bit apprehensively.  
  
When they reached the top Harry stopped and turned to the girls, who were going a different direction.  
  
"Well, goodnight," he said. Ron turned and echoed his sentiments.  
  
"'Night!" Ginny replied cheerfully.  
  
"Goodnight," Silver replied. He looked up into her eyes and for a moment they were both silent. Harry sought to get past the wall she had put up, but Ginny interrupted. "Come on, Silver", she said, "I'll show you our room."  
  
Silver quickly looked at Ginny. "Right," she said, turning to follow her.  
  
Harry and Ron turned and went into their room.  
  
"What's up between you two, mate?" Ron asked as they lay in bed.  
  
"I dunno," Harry replied, "I really like her eyes."  
  
Ron didn't reply.  
  
"Well, g'night", Ron said finally.  
  
"Night", Harry replied. 


	4. A Strange Unity

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items...you get the drift.

**------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter 4 – A Strange** **Unity  
**  
Harry awoke the next morning with the feeling that something exciting had happened, but he couldn't remember what. _Silver_, he remembered. As he dressed, he briefly wondered if he had a habit of getting up early or if Ron had a habit of getting up late. He headed downstairs towards the kitchen, his stomach reminding him that the previous night he had an early dinner. When he entered the kitchen, he found it impossible to do anything for a second except gape. Although Snape had his robes covering it, as he swished around Harry caught sight of tight bandages encircling his abdomen. Snape paused and gave him a calculating stare.  
  
"Never seen broken ribs before, Potter?" he asked.  
  
"No," Harry replied, although it was a lie. Snape sneered at him.  
  
Harry ventured a glance at Professor Dumbledore and saw, to his relief, that he was untouched. Lupin was also there, and smiled warmly at Harry as he entered.  
  
"Morning, Harry," he greeted.  
  
"Morning," Harry replied with a grin as he ambled over to sit next to him.  
  
Across from Harry sat Tonks. She beamed her good morning at Harry, and he mirrored her. Snape took the seat across from Lupin. Harry realized that was where he always sat. Snape turned to him with annoyance.  
  
"Is there any particular reason why you're staring at me, Potter?" he asked.  
  
"Other than the fact that I find you interesting?" Harry replied with what he knew Snape saw as sickening sweetness, "Nope."  
  
Lupin gave Harry a look that clearly said, "That was funny but you shouldn't do it." Harry simply grinned.  
  
"Are pancakes good for this morning?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Harry looked up at her and gave her a good-morning smile. She seemed to appreciate it, although her eyes got dangerously bright as she looked at him. When her question was met by approval, she turned to making pancake batter.  
  
The door creaked open, and Silver walked in.  
  
"Good morning, Silver," Dumbledore said.  
  
Mrs. Weasley turned from her pancake batter. "Good morning, dear, have a seat," she invited.  
  
Silver gave everyone her cautious but sweet smile. "Morning," she said meekly.  
  
Everyone called a good morning back, even Dumbledore and Mrs. Weasley, although they already had.  
  
"Next to Harry, I think," Dumbledore instructed.  
  
Silver obeyed, and Harry noticed that she didn't seem quite so cautious as she had the night before. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Snape. "What happened?" she exclaimed, seeing the bandages. Harry was surprised at her genuine concern.  
  
"Nothing," Snape mumbled, drawing his robes closed, "Just had to deal with some death eaters." He reached into a pocket of his robes withdrew what looked like a silver necklace. He held it out to Silver. Silver reached out her hand and he released it to her.  
  
"You didn't get hurt for this?" she asked.  
  
"Of course I did," he growled, "You love that locket."  
  
"Well you're more important than a necklace," Silver replied, a fiery edge to her voice, "What if you were killed?" "Well, I wasn't," Snape answered.  
  
Harry watched in shock. Not only was Snape talking to someone like he were a normal, friendly person, but Silver was acting as if he _were_ a normal, friendly person.  
  
Silver glared at Snape a moment before looking down at the locket in her hands. She then looked back up at him with a much softer look to her eyes. He looked as if he didn't know whether to expect anger or gratitude.  
  
"Thank you," she said softly.  
  
Snape looked relieved. "Welcome," he mumbled.  
  
Mrs. Weasley served them and in a bit everyone was down eating breakfast. Harry, Ron, and Ginny tried to get Silver to participate in a heated Quidditch conversation while Hermione looked on and Fred and George sat in a corner looking as if they were thinking up a new prank.  
  
When everyone was done, Fred and George came up and stood behind Harry and Silver. "Let's go somewhere else and talk, these chairs hurt my butt," Fred said.  
  
"Harry has enough candy to share with us all," Ron replied, "Let's go!"  
  
"I don't remember saying I was sharing!" Harry called as Fred, George, and Ron raced up towards his room. He turned to Silver, Ginny, and Hermione with a smile. "Come on," he said. He and the three girls followed the boys up the stairs, although Hermione stubbornly stayed four stairs behind and would not say why.  
  
Ron turned to Silver. "Are you coming to Hogwarts this year?" he asked. Everyone stopped fighting over candy to listen, and Hermione peered over the edge of her Transfiguration book.  
  
"Yes," Silver replied, "I've taken a test, and Dumbledore says I can transfer in as a sixth year."  
  
"Neat," Harry answered. To his surprise, she smiled at him. He allowed a stupid grin to pass over his face in return.  
  
"So," George said, in a voice that commanded attention. Everyone quieted and looked at him, except for Hermione, who pretended to be reading her book. George turned to Silver. "What's your story?" he asked, "Only if you want to tell it, of course."  
  
Silver's smile faded. "Well," she said, "I can try and tell you I suppose. It's hard, though."  
  
Nobody said anything, seeing as nobody had a clue what she was talking about. She looked around and took a deep breath.  
  
"Well, to start with, my parents," she said, "I've never met my father – I don't even know who he is. Dumbledore knows, but he refuses to tell me. As for my mother, well, I'm sure you've heard about her. She's a Death Eater. She has a horrible temper..." Harry watched as pain reflected in Silver's eyes, but she continued. "She...well...she abused me a bit. A lot."  
  
"Why would anyone want to hurt you?" George interrupted.  
  
Silver looked at him a long moment before replying. "Because she hates me," she said simply. Harry watched as her eyes filled with tears. Then she buried her face in her hands. "Sorry," she gasped as she tried to hold her sobs back. Ginny reached out, but the second her fingertips touched Silver's shoulder, Silver flinched as if Ginny had just slapped her. She wiped her eyes and said, "Sorry, I just -" Ginny nodded.  
  
"What's your favorite subject?" Harry asked randomly, trying to clear those deep brown eyes of tears. She gave him a look so grateful it made him feel weak.  
  
"Transfiguration," she said thoughtfully, "Or Defense Against the Dark Arts. Yours?"  
  
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Harry replied automatically.  
  
She smiled. "I suppose I should have expected that."  
  
Harry waited, but it didn't happen. _She didn't look at my scar_, he realized, _In fact, she hasn't looked at it yet – at least not that I've seen_. He decided that he rather liked it. It was the first mention she had made that she knew who he was – or at least what he had done.  
  
Fred and George began to talk about the pranks they had played on their teachers. Harry listened and was amazed. He was surprised they hadn't gotten expelled.  
  
"And once, we put a charm on Snape's robes so that they were bright pink the whole day!" Fred said.  
  
"That's so mean!" Ginny exclaimed, and Silver echoed her, but they both giggled.  
  
"Serves him right, the git!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Git?" Silver asked.  
  
Ron stared at her as if she had just dropped off another planet. "Come on," he said, "You've spent enough time with Snape to know that he's a git!"  
  
"No he's not," Silver replied a bit defensively.  
  
"Yes he is!" Ron exclaimed, "He's positively a monster!"  
  
Silver's eyes narrowed. "He is _not_," she argued.  
  
Hermione stopped pretending to read her book and put it down.  
  
"He's horrible," Ron replied, "Especially to Harry. He treats Harry like the scum of the earth. Doesn't he, Harry?"  
  
Silver turned shocked eyes to Harry, who nodded a bit uncomfortably. "Yeah, he really does," Harry admitted.  
  
Ron went into long detail about the things Snape said to them on a regular basis and how terrible he was during Potions, during which he was supported fully but Ginny, Fred, and George. Harry tried to stay out of it as much as possible. When Ron was finally done with his long-winded speech, he looked pointedly at Silver.  
  
"Well he's not a git," Silver said firmly.  
  
"After all that, you still think he's not a git?" Ron goggled.  
  
"Well Ron", she snapped, "Sometimes it's not as easy for people to be nice as you may think! Things happen that can hurt a person for life!"  
  
"Like what?" Ron challenged. Harry instantly knew he had made a mistake.  
  
"Like abuse," Silver replied passionately. "Tell me, Ron, have your parents ever pushed you into a corner and kicked you until your ribs broke? Have they ever grabbed you by the hair and thrown you across the room? Have they ever stuck a rod in the fire and then pressed it against your neck? Do you think you would go along being perfectly friendly to everyone if your own _parents_ did that to you?"  
  
Ron was silent for a moment. His ears turned red. "Well I wouldn't be a git like that idiot!" he replied, "Why are you so protective of him?"  
  
"He hasn't done anything except react to life!" Silver replied.  
  
"Yeah?" Ron asked furiously, "And how are we supposed to know that you're telling the truth? I mean, Snape is horrid to every living creature on this planet except apparently you. How are we supposed to know you aren't sleeping with him or something?"  
  
"RON!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Silver mouthed wordlessly at Ron. "That's just...just...horrid" she choked before bursting into tears.  
  
At that moment Lupin burst his head in the room.  
  
"How's it...going?" The last part of his sentence died as he looked at the sobbing Silver.  
  
"Severus!" Lupin called he stuck his head back out into the hallway and Harry heard him say, "She's crying."  
  
Snape burst in looking as if he were about to kill someone. When he looked at Silver, something flashed in his eyes that Harry had never seen before – concern.  
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
Silver just sobbed. Snape reached for her shoulders and for a moment Harry thought he was going to shake it out of her, but he did the opposite. He pulled her to her feet, and she immediately ran into his arms, clinging to him and crying. Snape looked both shocked and accustomed at her behavior as he winced. Harry decided that it probably hurt to have a girl throw herself at you when you had broken ribs.  
  
He turned to them. "What happened?" he asked. He looked down at Harry, for once without the slightest trace of menace. "Potter?"  
  
Harry shook his head. "I dunno," he mumbled.  
  
"I do," Hermione said, eyes flashing in Ron's direction, "Ron was a jerk."  
  
Snape looked at her questioningly, but she shook her head. "That's all," she informed him.  
  
"I'll take over," Lupin offered, "You two go next door."  
  
As Snape and Silver left, Lupin turned a menacing gaze on them. Harry had never seen him look so angry.  
  
"Well?" he asked, "What did you do, Ron?"  
  
Ron refused to say.  
  
Suddenly they heard Snape and Silver in the next room.  
  
"What happened?" Snape asked.  
  
"He...he said...he said that I was sleeping with you," she said mournfully.  
  
Amazingly, Snape didn't yell. "Well, you know that there's no truth to that, don't you?" he asked calmly.  
  
"Y...yes, but he was being so horrible! He called you a git!"  
  
Harry heard a smile in Snape's voice as he answered. "Well, I am a git," Snape replied.  
  
"No you're not!" Silver cried passionately.  
  
"Sure you don't want to take a vote?" he asked, sounding mildly amused.  
  
"Yes," Silver answered, sounding muffled. Harry guessed that after her last answer she had enveloped Snape in a hug.  
  
"Listen," Snape said, still sounding calm and in control, "I'm not as nice as you think I am."  
  
"I know", Silver answered, "They told me. I still don't think you're a git. If people said horrible things about me all the time I'd be mean, too."  
  
To everyone's amazement, Snape chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you don't see me for what I am," he said.  
  
"I do too!" Silver insisted, "You're not a git!"  
  
There was silence for a while and then Snape asked thoughtfully, "How are you doing with everybody?"  
  
"I'm trying to trust them," Silver replied earnestly, "But I flinched today when Ginny touched me. I think I hurt her feelings." Silver gave a sigh, "Why do I have to do that?"  
  
"Because of how you've been treated," Snape replied, "Trust me, it's when you try not to flinch that you make the mistake. You block them out instead...and then you become an old git like me."  
  
"You're not a git," Silver replied halfheartedly. After a moment she added, "Harry has pretty eyes."  
  
Harry blushed as everyone looked at him and he grinned sheepishly.  
  
Snape chuckled again. "Does he?" he asked.  
  
"Mmm hmm", Silver answered. "Are you really that mean to him in class?"  
  
"Afraid so," Snape replied, "He looks so much like his father I can't help but treat him like it."  
  
"Well," Silver said thoughtfully, "I think you should be nicer to him. He's really nice – I'm sure he'd forgive you."  
  
"I'll try and be nicer to Potter," Snape relented.  
  
"Harry," she corrected.  
  
"I don't do first names," Snape said.  
  
"You do now," she replied just as firmly.  
  
"No" Snape answered.  
  
Silver sighed. "Okay, but try to sound nicer when you say 'Potter'", she said.  
  
"I'll try," he said, but he didn't sound as if he would.  
  
"You're not a git," Silver said suddenly.  
  
"Don't start that again," he sighed.  
  
She giggled. "Why not? I'm determined to convince you you're not!"  
  
"Won't work," he said simply.  
  
Silver gave a contented sigh. For a moment she and Snape were silent. Harry's mind reeled. The foremost thing on his mind was that she liked his eyes – second was that she had the power to turn Snape into a completely different person. Snape wasn't sarcastic, bitter, or mean when he talked to her. In fact, he was more a of a - softie?  
  
"Snape's gone paternal," Ron muttered in amazement.  
  
"No kidding," Hermione replied faintly, looking as shocked as everyone else.  
  
"And none of you will say anything about it," Lupin said with quiet firmness in his voice. They all turned to look at him. "She's good for him, and if you ruin his chance to make the most of life I'll have your heads. Ron, you'll have to be punished for what you said. I'll talk to your mother." Ron looked very disappointed.  
  
"Guess I deserve it," he muttered, "But I didn't know it would make her cry. Sheesh."  
  
"I think we should try and be nicer to Snape," Ginny said suddenly in a hushed voice. They all exchanged glances. As horrible as Snape was, they knew they should do it, even if it was more for Silver than anyone else.  
  
Snape's voice became heard in the adjoining room once more. "You should go back."  
  
"Would you ever hurt me?" Silver asked suddenly. The question sounded random, but Snape was prepared for it.  
  
"Never," he said.  
  
"What if I –"she began.  
  
"_Never_", Snape repeated, "And you believe it, right?"  
  
"I want to," she replied, sounding desperate. "I really want to. But everyone – everyone – hurts me."  
  
"I won't," Snape replied, "And you should believe it."  
  
"I want to," she repeated wistfully. Harry heard the pain in her voice as she said it.  
  
Snape said nothing else for a while, and then he repeated his former suggestion. "You should go back in there," he said.  
  
"Alright," she agreed, "But I want to talk to Dumbledore first. See if he knows where my mom is."  
  
"If he knew he would have told you," Snape replied, "You're avoiding going back."  
  
"I want to go just the same," Silver insisted.  
  
"You're making an excuse," Snape told her.  
  
"_Please_?" Silver begged.  
  
"Alright," Snape relented, "Let's go and see if he's busy or not."  
  
Ginny giggled. "He's such a softie," she whispered in amazement.  
  
Even Lupin looked mildly amused. "Like I said," he reminded them, "Not a word about this."  
  
They all nodded solemnly, although they knew that he knew that they had every intention of discussing this once he left.  
  
"I'm off to have a word with your mother, Ron," Lupin said as he left.  
  
Ginny got up and closed the door behind him and then squealed, "Can you believe it? That is _not_ Snape!"  
  
"Seriously," Ron said, "I can't believe him. Why couldn't have chosen one of us to be nice to?"  
  
"Never thought the old git had it in him," Fred commented.  
  
"Snivelly's gone all paternal on us," George agreed.  
  
"It _is_ interesting," Hermione agreed, "Especially how he promised to be nicer to Harry right away."  
  
At this everybody looked at Harry, who said mischievously, "She thinks I have pretty eyes."  
  
"Harry and Silver," Ginny sang out. She was quickly joined by Fred, George, and Ron, although at Silver's name Hermione bristled.  
  
Harry looked over at her. "Come on, why don't you like her?" he asked over the singing, "What's she done?"  
  
Hermione looked distressed. "I can't explain it," she said.  
  
"You're jealous because she's prettier," Ron accused.  
  
Hermione glared at him and was about to say something, but Ron held up his hand.  
  
"It doesn't mean we like her any more, you know. It's not like she's our best friend all of a sudden and not you. But she _could_ be our friend, all of ours, if you would let her."  
  
"You just don't understand anything!" Hermione shouted, standing up and storming out of the room.  
  
Ron looked flustered. "I thought I handled that very well," he said, turning to look at them.  
  
"You did," Ginny assured him, "She's just sensitive right now. You have to prove to her that Silver's not a threat, not just say it."  
  
"Well how do I go about that?" Ron grumbled. Harry got the feeling he didn't want Ginny to answer, however, and apparently Ginny was wise to his emotions as well, because she remained silent, although she looked as if she had something to say.

----------------------------------------------------------  
  
At lunchtime Harry was surprised to find that the only people in the kitchen when they arrived were Snape, Mr. & Mrs. Weasley, and Kingsley.  
  
"Where's Silver?" Ginny asked from beside him, looking disappointed.  
  
Hermione gave a snort that clearly said she didn't care.  
  
Snape glared at her a moment before answering. "She's with Dumbledore at the moment, they should be back shortly," he replied.  
  
Sure enough, once they had all sat down (at the opposite end of the table), Silver and Dumbledore walked in. Dumbledore went to his usual spot at the head of the table, and Silver gazed hopefully at an empty chair next to Snape, but he gave her a reproving glance, and she reluctantly took a seat next to Ginny.  
  
"Hi," Ginny greeted warmly.  
  
Silver beamed at her. "Hi, Ginny," she replied.  
  
The two girls smiled at each other for a second before returning to their food. Hermione watched in a disapproving manner.  
  
"So," Mrs. Weasley said, "I think we should all go shopping tomorrow."  
  
Dumbledore nodded his head.  
  
"Mum," Ginny said suddenly, "Our owls haven't even come yet."  
  
"Oh yes," Dumbledore said with the air of one who had forgotten to tell someone something important, "Seeing as you were all staying with me, I decided to give you your letters myself. Please remind me this evening."  
  
"We're going to Diagon Alley?" Silver asked excitedly.  
  
At this, several adults shot her disapproving glances. She quickly looked down at her plate.  
  
"What was that for?" Ron asked.  
  
"Well," she said, "I decided to go there once while I wasn't supposed to – but just to look around!" she added defensively.  
  
"Yes, she obviously thinks there is a force field that deflects Death Eaters all around the place," Lupin said disapprovingly.  
  
"I had a disguise!" Silver protested.  
  
"I hardly think a hat and sunglasses counts as a disguise," Tonks replied.  
  
"Well, not all of us are Metamorphagus," Silver answered, "And you found me quick enough anyway."  
  
"Well, it's not that hard", Tonks said exasperatedly, "You just follow the trail of drooling guys you leave wherever you go."  
  
Silver blushed. "I do not," she mumbled as she stabbed at her salad.  
  
Tonks rolled her eyes.  
  
Silver glanced upward and met Harry's eye. "Do too," he mouthed. She blushed and became interested in her salad once more, although she was smiling. Harry had no idea what possessed him to do that, but he was glad he did. He suddenly became aware that he had not been as subtle as he wished, however, because, to his dismay, Lupin, Snape, Dumbledore, and Tonks were all staring at him. It was his turn to study his salad very carefully.

-------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The rest of the day Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Silver played chess and Exploding Snap. That evening they went down to the living room, as was tradition, to continue their "chess tournament". Harry was very happy to see that he and Silver were on about the same level when it came to chess (which was "novice" according to Ron). Silver's pieces at first yelled directions at her, and she became so flustered at one knight that she threatened to throw him across the room if he didn't shut up, which made all the other pieces quickly decide to obey her. Silver had been the first to lose, to Harry, but Harry's triumph was short-lived seeing as Ron beat him easily in five minutes. After forty-five minutes, Ron cornered a very red Ginny and pronounced himself champion. He glanced over at Hermione, who looked very embarrassed at being caught peering over her Arithmacy book at them.  
  
"Come on, Hermione, come play me," Ron invited.  
  
Hermione looked indecisive. Suddenly Silver stood up. "I think I'm going to go talk to Dumbledore," she announced.  
  
Hermione watched her go and then immediately came over to play Ron. Harry watched as Silver walked over to Dumbledore, and after a moment they both disappeared. She came back soon, however, with familiar-looking letters in her hand.  
  
Ron successfully beat Hermione as she walked over.  
  
"I have our Hogwarts letters," she said, shyly handing Hermione hers. Hermione gave her an icy look as she grabbed it from her, and Silver looked disappointed. After giving the others theirs, she backed away and looked forlornly around the room. Harry was about to call her back over (he didn't care much whether Hermione left or not at the moment) when she suddenly seemed to have picked out somewhere to go.  
  
Silver was walking up to Snape, who was sitting by himself on a small couch reading a huge book entitled _Do You Have Finesse With Potions?_ Judging from the way Snape was sneering at the book, he obviously thought he had more than enough finesse.  
  
Silver sat down next to him and he glanced over at her looking surprised.  
  
"Look at my letter," she said sweetly, holding it out in front of him.  
  
Although Harry was sure Snape had seen many Hogwarts letters, Snape took it in his hands and read it interestedly.  
  
"An Advanced Transfiguration book?" he questioned.  
  
"Yes – I've passed the test to be in Advanced," she replied.  
  
"And N.E.W.T. Potions," he said approvingly.  
  
"Mmm hmm," she agreed.  
  
Suddenly Snape frowned. "Now what's a smart girl like you doing in Divination?" he asked, "It's a load of rubbish; you should be in Arithmacy."  
  
"Oh, no, I'm terrible with numbers," she replied.  
  
"And do you only take the classes you're good at?" he answered.  
  
"Oh, no, I'm terrible at Potions, too, but I still made it into the N.E.W.T. class," she replied honestly.  
  
Harry saw a ghost of a grin flicker across Snape's face. "Well, I suppose you can go a bit easy on yourself with Divination," he relented.  
  
Silver was studying the Hogwarts crest on the envelope intently. "Tell me about the Houses," she requested.  
  
Snape glanced over at the crest for a moment. "Well," he began, "Each of the four houses has a different founder, and each takes in students that possess its most prized qualities."  
  
("I can't believe it," Ron whispered from behind Harry, "Snape the _storyteller_.")  
  
"In Gryffindor," Snape said, for once without distaste in his voice, "The daring and bold are prized. In Ravenclaw, those of great wit will find their kind. Slytherins prize power and cunning. Hufflepuffs are perhaps a bit of everything. Many say the Hufflepuffs are a bunch of dunderheads, but I had a Hufflepuff that went on to be a Potions Master."  
  
Silver listened intently, staring at the Hogwarts crest the whole time.  
  
She raised her eyes to Snape's. "What house do you think I'll be in?" she asked tentatively.  
  
Snape looked down at her calculatingly. "You, Silver, are a Gryffindor," he replied after a short moment.  
  
"But I'm not daring or bold!" she protested.  
  
"You are both," he replied, "When you're not on guard protecting yourself from others. And you know it."  
  
"But how will the Sorting Hat know that?" she asked.  
  
Harry wondered how she knew about the Sorting Hat. He figured either Dumbledore or Snape must have told her.  
  
"The Sorting Hat sees us for what we truly are," Snape replied, then, looking down at her questioning eyes, "And it can see through years of abuse."  
  
Silver looked down for a moment, contemplating. Then concern flashed in her eyes.  
  
"But Ron said you _hated_ Gryffindors!" she exclaimed, putting a hand on his arm and sitting up in urgency.  
  
"Well, you'll just have to be an exception to that rule," Snape replied.  
  
Silver settled back down next to him, her hand still on his arm. Snape's eyes flickered briefly over the letter, and then he looked over at Harry, who had been watching intently and quickly pretended not to be.  
  
"Why aren't you over there?" he heard Snape ask her.  
  
"Hermione doesn't like me," she replied fearfully, "Don't make me go."  
  
Harry was surprised to hear the urgency in her voice. He looked up to see that she looked utterly terrified of being near Hermione.  
  
"Miss Granger would never physically hurt you," Snape answered her quickly, "Even if she does have an unfounded dislike for you."  
  
"Are you sure?" Silver asked.  
  
"Very sure," Snape replied.  
  
Harry wondered at the fact that Silver thought Hermione would hurt her. Hermione had been cold, but she hadn't exactly threatened her.  
  
"I suppose she's just used to being hurt," Ginny said from beside him.  
  
"Must be," Ron agreed, "I mean, Hermione's scary, but not _that_ scary."  
  
That night Harry found he wasn't tired at all when he and Ron trudged up to bed. They sat up late eating candy and discussing Snape's change of character when around Silver, until finally they forced themselves to go to bed. Harry was oddly eager to get out of the house and go shopping the next day.


	5. An Outing to Remember

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowlings people, places, items, ect.

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 5 – An Outing to Remember  
**  
The next morning Harry woke up early, as he was used to by then, and ambled down to the kitchen after he got dressed. Mrs. Weasley was the only person there, and she was busy making waffles.  
  
"I think something's going on with Silver upstairs," she told him.  
  
Harry dashed back up the stairs and listened intently. He heard voices coming from down the hall, but no – certainly not – from Sirius' room? He walked down the hallway and paused outside the closed door of Sirius' room. Yes, there were definitely voices in there, and it wasn't Lupin. Harry pushed open the door, ready to raise heck for somebody else being in there, but the sight shocked him. Snape, Dumbledore, and Lupin were all looking down at Sirius' bed, on which lay a soundly sleeping Silver. They all looked up at him when he walked in.  
  
"What's going on?" Harry asked uncertainly.  
  
"Where's Granger?" Snape hissed venomously.  
  
"I don't know – why?" Harry answered.  
  
"Well," Lupin replied, "We all went into the living room this morning to find Silver sleeping on the couch. When we picked her up to take her to her bed she just kept saying, 'Don't take me back – Hermione'. Do you know anything about this, Harry?"  
  
"No," said Harry quietly. He wondered what Hermione had done.  
  
"I do," said a voice from behind him. It was Ginny. All eyes turned to her as she replied.  
  
"Well, Hermione had set down her book on Silver's bed, and so Silver went and gave it to her, and Hermione totally went off. She started yelling about how Silver had stolen her book and her best friends, and Silver burst into tears and left. I didn't realize that she never came back, though." Ginny glanced down at Silver, who began to stir.  
  
Snape looked as if he would personally slay Hermione.  
  
"Severus," Dumbledore said in a warning tone, "You will do nothing."  
  
Snape whirled around in a temper. "Why not?" he demanded.  
  
"Because it is not your place," Dumbledore replied sharply.  
  
Snape still looked as if he would murder Hermione the first chance he got.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore said, the menace gone from his voice, "I think Silver here would appreciate it if she were allowed to use this bedroom for the remainder of her stay, but if you object, we will surely find elsewhere."  
  
"I don't mind," Harry replied, "As long as everything stays how it is."  
  
Dumbledore smiled in reply.  
  
"Miss Weasley," he said, "Would you and Mr. Potter kindly bring Silver's things to this room without waking Miss Granger?"  
  
Ginny nodded, and Harry followed her out of the room.  
  
"Why doesn't Dumbledore ever use Silver's last name?" he asked. "What _is_ her last name?" he added.  
  
"I don't think she has one," Ginny replied, "She doesn't know who her father is, after all, and she probably doesn't want to use her mother's last name."  
  
"Oh," Harry replied stupidly.  
  
When they brought Silver's trunks back with them, she was stirring once more as the three adults conferred beside her bed.  
  
Her eyes fluttered open and she squinted in protest to the lamplight coming from the stand beside Sirius' bed.  
  
"Where am I?" she asked as she fumbled for the switch on the lamp.  
  
"You are in your new bedroom," Dumbledore replied brightly as they were all plunged into darkness.  
  
"I can't see," Ginny said faintly.  
  
Silver turned the lamp to a lower setting as she sat up.  
  
"This is Sirius' old bedroom," Lupin explained to her, "And it's yours, as long as you don't remodel."  
  
Silver looked around the room. "Wow, Harry," she said softly.  
  
Harry blushed as he realized that all of his pictures were gaping, lovestruck, at her.  
  
Snape had a coughing fit as everyone's eyes landed on the picture of Harry on his broomstick. He was hanging upside down off his broom and waving stupidly, looking as though someone had just stunned him.  
  
Silver gave Snape a reproachful look, and he put on a suspiciously straight face.  
  
Then her eyes landed on the picture of Sirius, Lupin, and Harry's father and mother. She reached out for it, and when her fingertips touched it she withdrew slightly, but then she picked it up and gazed at it, awestruck, for a moment. She looked up at Harry and then back down at the picture.  
  
"Wow, Harry," she said again. Harry blushed once more and walked up behind her to look at the picture. His father was extending his hand with mock formality, and his mother was beaming and waving at her. Sirius spotted Harry and gave him exaggerated winks along with head motions towards Silver, and Lupin was smiling and nodding. Harry blushed as Sirius pointed to Silver and nodded his head frantically at Harry, winking the entire time. Silver giggled as his father followed suit, but his mother elbowed him and he stopped and simply beamed at Harry. Harry grinned at Silver, who was looking at him with a slight blush.  
  
"That one's my favorite," he said, smiling fondly at the picture.  
  
"I kinda like the one of you on your broomstick," she teased.  
  
At this Harry felt his face go a wonderful shade of red. He glanced at her and felt their eyes lock, something they often seemed to do. Silver didn't block him out so much this time, and he readily opened himself up for her. He caught a flicker of trust in her otherwise uncertain eyes as she gazed at him.  
  
"Well, let's go now so Silver can get ready for breakfast," Lupin suggested after a while.  
  
Harry reluctantly looked away from her and trudged toward the door. He had a crazy desire to say something stupid like, "See you downstairs," but Lupin pushed him firmly out the door.  
  
Snape pushed past them and went downstairs, looking at Harry with extreme dislike as he passed.  
  
"Watch it around Snape, Harry," Lupin muttered.  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well you two can't just goggle at each other in front of him," Lupin said exasperatedly, "In case you haven't noticed, he's just a tad bit protective of her."  
  
"At each other?" Harry repeated excitedly, "She was goggling at me, too?"  
  
Lupin rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Come on," he said, changing the subject, "Molly's making waffles."  
  
Harry followed him with a grin that he couldn't wipe.  
  
After sitting and receiving many loathing looks from Snape but still grinning, Ron and Hermione came down. Harry wondered why they always seemed to arrive together. Soon everyone was downstairs but Silver.  
  
"What's taking her so long?" Harry asked, echoing what Snape had been muttering since Mrs. Weasley served him.  
  
"I don't know," Mrs. Weasley said, "I'll go check."  
  
Snape looked as if he would much rather go check himself, but he didn't protest. Mrs. Weasley returned with a smile on her face.  
  
"She's very excited about going into town today," she informed them, "Did you know the only place she's ever been other than that dratted house of hers is Knockturn Alley?"  
  
Murmurs spread around the table. Harry had been to Knockturn Alley once, and he didn't feel any desire to go back. It was an alley devoted completely to the Dark Arts, and the wizards and witches that shopped there didn't look pleasant at all.  
  
"So why isn't she coming downstairs?" Snape asked.  
  
"She's getting ready," Mrs. Weasley replied cryptically.  
  
Snape didn't look satisfied at her answer, and he muttered to himself as he took another bite of his waffle.  
  
A few minutes later, Dumbledore looked up and said approvingly, "Ah, Silver, may I say, you look positively radiant today."  
  
Harry turned to look at a blushing but beautiful Silver. She had curled her hair into largish ringlets, and put a sparkly pink hairpin on one side. She wore a pink spaghetti strap shirt which Harry rather liked for no particular reason, and white pants. Tied around her hips was a pink polka- dotted white scarf, and a tiny silver locket hung around her neck.  
  
"Thank you," she replied to Dumbledore as she scanned the table for a seat. Harry felt extremely lucky that the only empty seats were the ones across and next to him. Smiling at him, she took a seat across from him and next to Ginny. Harry gaped openly. How could she be _more_ beautiful?  
  
"Trying to catch flies with your mouth, Potter?" Snape sneered from down the table.  
  
Harry glared at him and Snape smirked back at him.  
  
With a reproving look in Snape's direction, Silver announced, "_I_ think Harry looks very nice today."  
  
Harry blushed furiously and attempted to mumble a thank you. She simply beamed at him. Snape looked scandalized. After breakfast there was a general scramble for jackets, shoes, and lost letters. Finally, everyone was standing by the door except for Silver.  
  
"Almost ready?" Lupin called up.  
  
"Almost!" came the reply.  
  
Harry grinned as she came running down the stairs holding two jackets in her hand. One was plain white with a hood, and the other was see-through and matched the scarf around her waist.  
  
"Which one?" she asked, smiling at them.  
  
For a moment, nobody answered.  
  
"The solid one," Harry suggested. She tossed the polka-dotted one aside and slipped on the solid one with a knee-weakening smile directed at Harry.  
  
Snape glared at Harry as they walked outside, but Harry didn't care. Silver walked next to him as they all gathered at the curb. Lupin pulled out his wand and raised it in the air, and a few seconds later they were all boarding the Knight Bus. Slippery-looking seats ran along the interior of the first floor, and seeing as it was empty, this was where they all sat.  
  
"'Ey, Ern, it's Neville!" Stan cried, pointing at Harry.  
  
Silver giggled. "Neville?" she asked from beside him.  
  
"Long story," he replied. She giggled again. Stan looked at her with interest.  
  
"What's _yer_ name?" he asked in what he thought was a winning tone, swaggering over to her and winking a bit too obviously.  
  
To Harry's delight, Silver scooted closer to him and took his arm, looking at Stan with a mixture of disgust and fright. Harry glared at Stan and successfully succeeded in getting him to walk off ("Not too friendly, are yer?"). Silver didn't let go of Harry's arm, and Harry had a stupid grin on his face as the bus started. It took off with its signature jolt, causing Fred and George to topple out of their seats and Moody to dig his wooden leg hard into the ground so that he wouldn't lose his balance. Another, more appreciative effect was the one it had on Silver. She scooted closer to Harry – although whether she scooted of her own accord or not was a mystery – and put her other hand on his arm.  
  
"Is it supposed to do that?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"Yeah," Harry replied casually, "That's the worst part though, except maybe for the turns."  
  
As he finished his statement, the bus turned down a side street more sharply than usual. Tonks landed in a very embarrassed Lupin's lap, and Silver, to Harry's disappointment, only almost made it into his. Snape nearly went flying off the edge of the seat, but managed to catch himself in time, shooting an evil look at Harry, who was grinning as Silver clutched his arm.  
  
"This is horrible," Silver groaned.  
  
Harry couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"It's not funny," she insisted, but she laughed, too.  
  
Suddenly the bus jerked to a stop. Harry, who knew the after-effects of this, stayed seated effectively, but Silver would've flown forward and out of her seat if he hadn't caught her. Once he did, she scooted back into his arms, leaving one arm around her waist as she did so. Harry was so happy he was dizzy – although it may have been the effect the bus was having on him. Snape, on the other hand, looked as if he were going to chuck Harry out the window the first chance he got.  
  
When they finally arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry was very disappointed to relinquish his hold on her, but did so out of fear of Snape. Lupin was grinning slyly at Harry as they stepped off the bus, and Moody patted him on the back forcefully, saying, "That's my boy!" in a rather loud voice.  
  
Dumbledore turned to them all. "We shall have to split up, or it will look a bit suspicious," he informed them.  
  
"Molly and Arthur, you shall take your children and Miss Granger with you," he directed.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley nodded and began to gather up their children.  
  
"Severus and Minerva, you will each travel individually and pick up the items I have asked of you as well as those you need."  
  
Snape looked from Silver to Harry to Dumbledore as if to protest, but Dumbledore continued talking immediately.  
  
"Tonks, Moody, you will travel together and keep an eye on everybody – Severus, you will not speak while I am speaking."  
  
Tonks and Moody nodded and Snape looked abashed. Harry tried to keep a straight face.  
  
"Remus, you will accompany Harry, Silver, and I to various stores of their choice."  
  
Harry was surprised. It was a privilege to travel with Dumbledore throughout Diagon Alley. He was also elated that he and Silver were together.  
  
"Everyone whom I failed to mention, you are free to do whatever you wish, and I request that you keep an eye on the other members as you do so. Everybody please meet up here at five o' clock sharp."  
  
With that, everyone assorted and began to pass through the Leaky Cauldron. Dumbledore, Lupin, Harry, and Silver stayed until last. Silver was bouncing on her tiptoes in excitement. She practically dragged them through the Leaky Cauldron, not even giving Dumbledore a chance to say hello to anyone, and once they entered Diagon Alley she was awestruck.  
  
"To Gringotts, then," Dumbledore said, "Silver, I will not permit you to take any money out of your family account, because your mother may be able to track you then."  
  
Silver's face fell. "But – I don't have any money now," she said.  
  
"Well, Severus has kindly offered you unlimited use of his vault, however, I have decided that you will extract a certain amount from both mine and Severus' vault."  
  
Silver still looked downcast. "But –"she protested.  
  
"No, Silver," Dumbledore replied, his voice gentle but firm.  
  
Harry wondered what Dumbledore's vault looked like. They walked into Gringotts, and Silver, although still stubbornly wanting to use her own vault, was amazed.  
  
"Harry!" she exclaimed, taking a hold of his arm, "Look at those emeralds!"  
  
Harry turned to see some goblins weighing a huge pile of emeralds on a scale.  
  
"They're nice," he commented.  
  
"Nice?" she echoed, "Harry, they're _gorgeous_. I suppose you would be used to them, though, they're the exact same color as your eyes."  
  
Harry blushed profusely. Had she just called his eyes gorgeous?  
  
Lupin and Dumbledore were smiling mysteriously as they got into their cart. Silver and Harry scrambled in after them, and Silver situated herself between Lupin and Harry.  
  
"First stop, the Potter vault," the goblin announced. Their cart took off, although to Harry's disappointment, Silver didn't seem quite as scared as she had on the Knight Bus. The cart stopped in front of Harry's vault and he clambered out to fill his bag. He felt a bit self-conscious, aware that everyone was watching him, as he quickly scooped piles of money into his bag. When he got back in the cart, Dumbledore was staring at him interestedly, but said nothing.  
  
"Next stop, vault six hundred and twenty-three, Lupin!" the goblin announced. Harry had no recollection of goblins ever using names to identify vaults before, but said nothing. They traveled only a bit further until they reached Lupin's vault. Harry hesitantly glanced behind him to see Lupin carefully selecting only a few gold Galleons from a medium-sized pile, and then halfway filling up his bag with silver Sickles and bronze Knuts.  
  
"Next stop, Snape," the goblin said boredly as they plunged into darkness once more after Lupin climbed in.  
  
"Silver," Dumbledore said as they stopped, "You are the one who had permission to extract the money, not I, so you must go and extract exactly fifty each of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts." Silver's eyes widened. "But that's much too much!" she protested. "Silver," Dumbledore said in a no- nonsense tone. Silver hesitantly walked up to the door to Snape's vault, and the goblin unlocked it with a swish of his finger. Harry gaped. It was a treasure trove. Emeralds, Rubies, and precious gems of all kinds lined the walls of Snape's vault. Silver carefully collected some money and turned to go back. "Silver," Dumbledore sighed, "Since when is twenty Galleons equal to fifty?" Silver frowned and collected the rest of the Galleons. She climbed back in still scowling. Harry thought she looked cute anyways.  
  
"Dumbledore," the goblin said as the cart took off even further downwards.  
  
"I really don't need any more money," Silver told Dumbledore. Harry had to agree with her. He was certain he hadn't even taken that much money from his own vault.  
  
"Well, you'll be getting some anyhow," Dumbledore replied.  
  
"It'll be too heavy," she protested.  
  
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at her. "I'll carry it for you, and give it to you when we get home. You need some money to spend at Hogwarts, especially if you plan on going to Hogsmeade."  
  
"Oh," Silver said quietly. Then she looked up, "But I'm not going to Hogsmeade, sir, my parents didn't sign the slip."  
  
"Fudge has agreed that between Severus and I, we can override that," Dumbledore replied, smiling at her.  
  
Silver smiled slightly in return, but looked lost in thought about something. Harry realized that they had been in the cart a relatively long time compared to the time it took them to get to the other vaults. Just as he was about to say something, the cart stopped. Dumbledore rose and got out. Harry twisted in his seat with curiosity. If Snape's vault had been so great, Dumbledore's must be much better! The goblin stroked the door with his finger, but it didn't stay away. Dumbledore nodded to the goblin and stepped through it. Harry sank into his seat with disappointment. Lupin chuckled.  
  
"You didn't want to see Dumbledore's vault, now did you, Harry?" Lupin teased.  
  
Harry found himself grinning despite his disappointment. "Not really," he replied sarcastically.  
  
Soon enough, Dumbledore stepped back out and bowed formally to the goblin. "Thank you," he said in a deep voice. The goblin looked surprised, but bowed back and replied, "Your welcome."  
  
Silver nearly ran through the lobby to get outside. "Ooh, what first?" she asked.  
  
"Robes," Dumbledore said decidedly, "I need some new robes myself, and we're right here as it is."  
  
The four walked into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and watched Silver be measured. The measuring tape did its job quickly and then proceeded to winding itself around her waist and squeezing.  
  
Madam Malkin quickly unwound it and apologized.  
  
"Now, what color would you like your dress robes to be?" she asked, giving Silver a color chart.  
  
Silver looked down interestedly. Harry walked up behind her and peered over her shoulder along with Lupin and Dumbledore.  
  
"How about Silver?" Harry suggested with a note of teasing in his voice.  
  
Silver giggled and searched for the silver patch. "Ooh, it is pretty," she said, "Yes, I think I'll take silver." They then helped Dumbledore pick out some new purple robes, and left.  
  
"Well, what else is on your list?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Silver wasn't paying attention however, she was staring at the Magical Menagerie as if in a trance.  
  
"An owl," she whispered, "Can I get an owl?"  
  
"Certainly," Dumbledore replied, "To the Magical Menagerie."  
  
"They're all so lonely," Silver said as they neared. Harry remembered that she had the ability to talk with animals.  
  
"Where's Hedwig?" he wondered aloud.  
  
"When she came to the school for your letter I informed her that she wasn't needed," Dumbledore replied, "She was most offended and flew off to the Owlry. I dare say she'll be back as soon as she gets over it."

Harry grinned at the thought of his owl and her ego.  
  
"Where's Silver?" Lupin asked suddenly.  
  
They had entered the Magical Menagerie and she had disappeared. They exchanged worried glances and split up to find her. Harry spotted her at the end of the last aisle crouching down by a black screech owl.  
  
"Found her!" he called.  
  
Lupin and Dumbledore appeared almost immediately, and the three of them drew closer to watch her converse with the owl.  
  
"Poor baby," she said softly, reaching her finger in to pet it's head. The owl hooted quietly and closed it's eyes at her touch.  
  
"I want this one," she said decidedly.  
  
"Are you sure?" Lupin asked, "You haven't' seen them all yet."  
  
"I heard this one's voice from the moment I stepped in the store," she replied, "I think it's a sign."  
  
"Alright then," Lupin replied, "I'll go get the shop owner."  
  
Harry crouched down beside her. "What's it's name?" he asked, looking down at the peaceful owl.  
  
"He doesn't have one yet," she replied, "He was taken from his mother just after he was born, and brought here. He's not fully grown yet, but he's got his adult feathers and I think he's ready to carry letters and the like."  
  
Harry surveyed the owl carefully. It was a bit on the small side, but it definitely looked mature enough to carry letters back and forth. It opened it's eyes and peered up at him. It had big, golden eyes.  
  
"Aren't his eyes beautiful?" she sighed.  
  
"Sure," Harry agreed.  
  
The owl looked up at Silver and hooted. "Of course," Silver replied. Harry wondered how the owl could have asked a question in just one hoot, but didn't say anything.  
  
The shop owner and Lupin appeared beside them.  
  
"Ah, you've taken an interest in this little guy," the lady said, grinning, "He's quite young but definitely suitable to carry mail. He can be a bit violent though, I'm just warning you."  
  
The owl hooted indignantly, and Silver looked up at the shopkeeper a bit reproachfully.  
  
"He says he's only violent because you handle him so harshly," she informed the lady, "Baby owls are very delicate, and should be treated with gentleness."  
  
Surprise registered in the lady's eyes. "One owl is the same as the next," she replied sharply, "Would you like the cage he's in right now?"  
  
Harry thought the cage he was in was a bit small, even for a young owl, and was glad when Silver replied, "No thank you, I'd like that one, over there." She pointed to a shiny metal cage that looked both bigger and more comfortable than the one the owl was in at the moment. "But we're still shopping right now, so could you please hold it for me, and I'll come back and get it later?"  
  
The owner looked at Silver like she was asking rather a lot, but agreed as long as Silver paid then.  
  
As they left the shop, Lupin commented, "Seven galleons was a lot to ask for that little thing."  
  
The owl glared at him haughtily from Silver's shoulder, and Silver laughed. "He's still growing," she said defensively. The owl rubbed up against her cheek in agreement.  
  
"I think I'm going to name him Esperanza," she announced. The owl hooted in excitement.  
  
Lupin snorted. "Don't you think that's a little, erm...girly?" he asked. Harry couldn't help but agree with him, and Dumbledore had a sly smile on his face as well.  
  
Silver frowned. "No it's not," she argued, "Its _exotic_. Right, Harry?"  
  
Harry quickly hid his smile. "Yup, exotic. My point exactly," he agreed. Lupin smirked at him and Dumbledore's mouth twitched suspiciously.  
  
"Do you like it?" she asked the owl. It hooted its approval.  
  
"Right then. Esperanza," she said.  
  
The rest of their shopping passed uneventfully, except for the event of getting Silver a wand.  
  
("But I already have a wand! Well, okay, so it's been in my family for three generations, maybe I should get a new one...")  
  
They had to wait for forty-five minutes until a very excited Mr. Ollivander presented her with a fourteen-inch unicorn hair and phoenix feather wand.  
  
"Yes, very unusual combination indeed," he chatted excitedly as they paid.  
  
"I'm starved," Lupin announced after he finished teasing Silver about being too stubborn for any wand to agree with her.  
  
"Me too," Silver echoed.  
  
"I'm surprised you two have agreed," Dumbledore replied.  
  
Esperanza hooted impatiently and nipped at Silver's ear for the third time in a row, making her wince. "Ouch, that's sensitive!" she exclaimed to the owl.  
  
"I think he's a bit hungry," Harry remarked innocently. She scowled at him as she rubbed her ear, and Harry and Lupin dissolved into laughter. Dumbledore gave a quiet chuckle.  
  
"Well, now, here's our stop then," he announced.  
  
Harry was too hungry to even see where they were. They went inside and feasted on chicken and mashed potatoes. Esperanza ate the tiny pieces Silver broke off for him, and had a go at some mashed potatoes, but ended up getting it more on his face than in his mouth. As Harry, Lupin, and Dumbledore laughed openly, Silver wiped the owl's face, telling him firmly, "Just ignore them."  
  
Finally, at half-past four, they were done.  
  
"Oh!" Silver said suddenly, "We forgot Esperanza's cage!"  
  
"Esperanza," Lupin muttered under his breath, "What a mouthful."  
  
Harry smothered back a laugh as Silver and Esperanza shot them a dirty look. After getting Esperanza's cage, although Silver refused to put him in it, they arrived outside the Leaky Cauldron at a quarter til'. Snape and Professor McGonagall were already there.  
  
"Isn't he _adorable_?" Silver gushed to Snape as he eyed her new owl with dislike.  
  
"Completely," Snape replied in a non-convincing voice.  
  
Silver either didn't notice or didn't mind, however, as she proceeded to show him her new wand.  
  
"Core?" Snape asked as he fingered it.  
  
"Phoenix feather and unicorn hair," she replied proudly.  
  
Snape and Professor McGonagall both raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit uncommon," Snape commented, looking at the wand with new suspicion.  
  
"Yes, it is," Lupin agreed, "Which might be why it took us forty-five minutes to find."  
  
Snape smirked but said nothing as he handed Silver her wand back. Harry got the feeling that thinking of Lupin bored out of his mind gave Snape satisfaction. Not that it had been completely boring to see Silver accidentally blow things up whenever he put any wand containing dragon heartstrings in her hand, however.  
  
At five o' clock, none of the others had shown up yet, however, at a quarter past the Weasleys and Hermione arrived, breathless, complaining about long lines at the book store. A few minutes after that the rest showed up, voicing the same complaints.  
  
Dumbledore graciously forgave them for their tardiness and raised his wand. The Knight Bus appeared in a flash. Harry was very put out to have Silver sit in between himself and Snape, but when the bus took off Silver latched securely to his arm. He was sure she wouldn't have minded if he put his arm around her, but he didn't dare chance it with Snape there.  
  
That night, after everybody finished showing off what they had gotten and Hermione had successfully read and re-read her new Transfiguration book, they tiredly trudged up the stairs. Harry, Ron, and Silver said good night to Ginny and Hermione and continued down the hallway. Silver stopped outside the door to their room, which made both of them stop as well. Ron, however, looked from Silver to Harry and retreated inside, swinging the door almost shut behind himself. Esperanza fluttered off of Silver's shoulder to the railing and stared downstairs intently.  
  
Silver looked at Harry a bit shyly, but also with warmth. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something.  
  
"I had a really good time with you today," he offered.  
  
She beamed at him. "Me too," she said.  
  
For a moment Harry debated kissing her, but he decided against it in the end because he realized, upon looking into her eyes, that she trusted him a good deal more than she had previously, and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that.  
  
"Good night," he said.  
  
"Night, Harry," she replied sweetly.  
  
He walked into his room still picturing the smile she had given him and the way she had said his name. He had a feeling he wouldn't forget a single detail of the day he had just been through for a long while.


	6. Unexpected Presents

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowlings' stuff. Got it? Okay then.

**-----------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 6 – Unexpected Presents**  
  
The next morning Harry awoke rather suddenly, feeling as if he had forgotten something. He glanced over at Ron, only to find, to his amazement, that Ron was not there. _Well, guess he had to beat me at least one morning over the summer_, he told himself as he got up. As he dressed, replays of the night before with Silver came to mind, and he found himself smiling in a rather silly way as he remembered her sweet, "Night, Harry." He went downstairs a bit preoccupied: whatever he had forgotten was certainly bugging him – he had a feeling it was important. He walked into the kitchen and nearly yelped with surprise as every member of the Order jumped up from their seats and yelled, "SURPRISE!" He saw a banner hanging up that said, "Happy Birthday, Harry!" above the table and instantly knew what he had forgotten.  
  
He glanced at the table to see balloons and confetti all over it. A chair in the center of the table had balloons tied to it which were flashing the words, "Happy Birthday, Harry!" repeatedly in different colors. It was in between a tired-looking Lupin and an excited-looking Ron, and across from Dumbledore, who had abandoned his usual spot at the head of the table. Harry felt a sheepish smile spread over his face as he realized that he had forgotten it was his birthday.  
  
"Thanks, guys," he said, taking a seat. Suddenly his vision was obstructed by a huge ball of white and grey speckled feathers.  
  
"Hedwig!" he exclaimed. She hooted and nipped his ear affectionately, but Mrs. Weasley shooed her away as she fed Harry his breakfast.  
  
"Thanks," he said warmly.  
  
"No problem, dear," she replied.  
  
It was only when Harry looked at his plate that he realized how full it was. There were pancakes, eggs, bacon, and toast, and a lot of each. Grinning, Harry started. He glanced up to see that everyone looked as if they were enjoying their own breakfast. As he took a sip of his orange juice, Silver caught his eye from beside Dumbledore and gave him a warm smile. As a result, a good bit of his orange juice ended up on his shirt. Silver pretended not to notice, whilst Snape, on her other side, smirked, only to earn himself a reproving glance from Silver. He moodily began to pick the confetti out of his food. Beside Harry, Lupin pointed his wand at him and muttered, "_Scourgify_". The orange juice disappeared from his shirt, and Harry grinned his thanks.  
  
After breakfast, Mrs. Weasley magically cleared the table and called, "_Accio Presents_!" Presents of all shapes and sizes came marching in through the door and settled on the table in front of Harry as Mrs. Weasley directed them. When they were all there, it was quite a large pile of presents. Harry couldn't see Dumbledore, Silver, or Ginny, who sat on Dumbledore's other side, over them.  
  
"Well open them already!" Ron exclaimed, and he was echoed by everyone else as he said so.  
  
Grinning, Harry began to tear wrapping paper. The pile diminished quickly, only to create two growing piles in front of Lupin and Ron; one of unwrapped presents, and one of wrapping paper ("Why couldn't I get the presents pile?" Ron complained. Lupin, on the other hand, was delighted.) From Hermione he got a book (not surprising) on Quidditch techniques, from Ron he got a box that would bite anybody other than himself who tried to open it, from Lupin he got a very long letter that Lupin advised him to read later, and a framed picture of a shaggy black dog. When Harry looked at the picture the dog jumped up and attempted to lick him, leaving lick marks on the glass, his tail wagging so fast it was hard to keep track of. Harry set that one especially aside. Among his other notable gifts, he got purple shoelaces from Dumbledore, a book on Disguise and Concealment for Aurors from Tonks, and a device that Mr. Weasley had made himself ("from Muggle equipment!") that tied your shoes for you.  
  
When Harry had unwrapped all his presents, Silver stood up and put her hand in her pocket.  
  
"That's not all, Harry," she told him.  
  
Her eyes sparkled as she withdrew a green velvet pouch and handed it to him. "Go on, open it," she urged.  
  
Harry thought he would rather look at her eyes, alight with anticipation, for a while, but opened it anyway. He withdrew an ancient gold pocket watch. Lupin's hand flew to his shoulder at an alarming speed. Harry saw that there was something engraved on the front. He held it a bit closer and read:  
  
_James A. Potter_  
  
He glanced up at Silver, ignoring Lupin's death grip. He couldn't bring himself to say anything.  
  
"Don't you like it?" she asked concernedly, suddenly looking close to tears.  
  
"It's my favorite," he croaked.  
  
She smiled. "Good," she said softly.  
  
Harry looked down at it again, and held it closer to Lupin so he could see. Suddenly Snape reached across the table and snatched it out of his hand.  
  
"Hey!" Harry yelled, standing up.  
  
Snape studied the watch intently, and then thrust it back at him, standing at the same time. He turned to Silver.  
  
"_Where_ did you get that?" he demanded.  
  
Silver looked pointedly ahead.  
  
"Look at me," Snape demanded.  
  
She looked the opposite direction.  
  
"What is it, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"That's James' watch, Albus," Snape replied, his voice cutting, "The one he lost in the battle with her mother."  
  
These last few words seemed to have effect on only Dumbledore, himself, and Moody, who stood up and fixed a piercing gaze on Silver.  
  
Dumbledore reached out, placed his finger under Silver's chin, and lifted her eyes to meet his. He didn't speak for a few seconds.  
  
"Did you go back to get the watch, Silver?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," Silver admitted defiantly.  
  
"When?" Dumbledore inquired.  
  
"Last night."  
  
_Gone back where?_ Harry thought, _Where did she go?_  
  
Suddenly Mrs. Weasley gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth. "Not to her house!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yes indeed, Molly," Dumbledore replied gravely.  
  
Lupin drew a sharp intake of break from beside Harry. "Silver!" he exclaimed.  
  
"I wasn't caught," Silver protested, "And I didn't leave any fingerprints, I promise!"  
  
"_You could have been caught_!" Snape roared, "And you're much too young to be Apparating!"  
  
"I'll be old enough to Apparate next year", Silver replied coolly, "And I didn't Apparate anyway."  
  
Snape's glare was question enough for her.  
  
"I used Floo Powder," she said.  
  
Mr. Weasley choked on something. For a moment Snape just stared at her, then he threw his hands up in the air and began to pace that side of the room.  
  
"Foolish girl!" he yelled, "Imprudent!"  
  
Silver looked mildly sorry.  
  
Snape turned to her, eyes blazing. "You shouldn't have risked your life for his blasted father's watch!"  
  
Silver stood up to face him, and although she was still nowhere near his height, she spoke as if she were five feet taller than him.  
  
"Just because you don't like his father doesn't mean I shouldn't have done it!" she yelled. Her eyes were as fiery as his, and her cheeks were flushed with anger.  
  
Snape stared at her, stunned, for a moment, and then turned and began to pace again.  
  
"Silver," Dumbledore said gravely, "You realize that you must never go back again."  
  
"Yes, I know – it's just that it was Harry's birthday," she replied.  
  
Dumbledore nodded and Silver took her seat. The fire in her eyes hadn't died completely, and she still had a defiant look to her. Moody took his seat again, as well.  
  
"Sit, Severus," Dumbledore commanded.  
  
Snape angrily took his seat.  
  
"Well, Harry," Dumbledore said, looking up at a mildly confused Harry, "You should be very, very thankful for that watch. It was your father's prized possession, and he was most undone when he lost it. Now that it is in your hands, I suspect you will take very good care of it."  
  
Harry nodded, and Dumbledore nodded back at him.  
  
"Come now," Dumbledore said imperially, "Let us adjourn to the living room."  
  
Everyone rose, and some scattered chatter broke out.  
  
"Silver." It was Snape's voice. "Stay."  
  
Silver turned to him defiantly, but still stayed. Harry lingered by the door. Snape looked up at him with his usual loathing.  
  
"Get a move on, Potter," he sneered.  
  
Harry reluctantly left, clutching his father's watch very tightly. He made a mental note to thank Silver profusely for going to get it for him.  
  
Situated in the living room, everyone began to talk pleasantly, but Tonks, who was by the door, suddenly let out a loud "Shhh!"  
  
Everybody quieted, and they could hear Snape and Silver's conversation.  
  
"What you did was unthinkable," Snape was saying, "And I don't think you realize the seriousness of what you have done. You're grounded."  
  
Silver snorted. "When are we going to leave this house anyway?"  
  
"To your room," Snape finished.  
  
"You can't ground me on Harry's birthday!" she protested.  
  
"Watch me," Snape replied, "Potter's birthday has nothing to do with you!"  
  
"It obviously does, or I wouldn't be grounded," Silver retorted.  
  
"Go to your room," Snape replied.  
  
"Make me," she challenged.  
  
To Harry's surprise, nobody brought up the fact that they shouldn't be eavesdropping. In fact, nobody really seemed to realize that was what they were doing at that very moment.  
  
"Go," Snape commanded.  
  
"I won't. It's Harry's birthday and he wants me there," she replied, "And besides, who gave you permission to punish me?"  
  
"I don't need permission," Snape said, his voice angry, "I am a responsible adult and you are not."  
  
"You're not my –"she began.  
  
"What, your father?" Snape asked, his voice rising to a higher level. "Your father isn't here to make the decision, but if you'd like me to call your mother in, I certainly will!"  
  
"That's not funny!" Silver yelled back, sounding as if she were about to cry.  
  
"I didn't mean the part about your mother," Snape said resignedly, "And I suppose what I meant to say was that no, I am not your father, but I...I..."  
  
"Yes?" Silver asked slyly.  
  
There was no answer from Snape, and Silver suddenly laughed.  
  
"You care about me?" she prompted.  
  
"Yes," he said grudgingly, sounding as if he would rather say no.  
  
"A lot?" she encouraged.  
  
"Yes," Snape muttered through what sounded like clenched teeth.  
  
"You love me?" she asked, but this time the question sounded more sincere.  
  
"If you must hear me say so," Snape replied, sounding extremely annoyed.  
  
A second later he cried, "Ouch! Don't break my ribs again!"  
  
Tonks giggled and murmured, "He knows he loves it."  
  
"Sorry," Silver apologized. "So am I still grounded?"  
  
Harry could imagine her looking up at him with those big, brown eyes, and knew that there was no way Snape was going to confine her to her room either that day or any day.  
  
"No," Snape said, still sounding resigned.  
  
"Yay! Thank you!" she cried.  
  
"Watch the ribs!" was his concerned reply.  
  
Silver giggled and they heard the door to the kitchen open.  
  
"Aren't you coming?" she demanded.  
  
"No," Snape replied stubbornly.  
  
"Oh come on, you know you want to go and sing happy birthday to Harry," she teased.  
  
"I think not," Snape said, sounding horrified at the thought.  
  
"Why not?" she asked.  
  
Snape muttered something under his breath. They heard the kitchen door close, but knew she hadn't left the room.  
  
"What?" she prompted.  
  
"Nobody wants to talk to me anyway," Snape replied.  
  
"Oh yes they do," she said, "Come with me and you'll see."  
  
"I don't want to."   
"Yes you do."   
"No, I don't."   
"Just for a little bit!"   
"No."   
"_Please_?"   
"Oh, fine."  
  
There were chuckles all around. "What a softie!" Ginny crowed from beside Harry. Immediately everyone became busy, lest Snape and Silver find out they had been overheard. Nobody wanted to imagine Snape's temper if that should happen.  
  
Silver dragged Snape into the room and Moody walked up to Snape immediately.  
  
"Come," he said, grabbing Snape by the wrist and dragging him into a corner. Snape looked back at Silver, who gave him an 'I-told-you-so' look. As the two men walked away, Harry heard Moody say gravely, "I think you have a stalker. Let's look at the evidence." Snape didn't look convinced.  
  
Then Silver bounded over to Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.  
  
"Get in trouble?" Ron asked.  
  
"A little," she replied.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Ginny exchanged grins over Silver's head as she flipped through the book Tonks had given him, but Hermione looked outraged.  
  
"_I_ was looking at that," she snapped, grabbing the book out of Silver's hands and marching off.  
  
"It's my b-"Harry began, but Silver quieted him with a hand on his arm.  
  
"Let her be," she said, "She'll come around."  
  
Harry studied her intently, but she refused to make eye contact with him.  
  
"You don't really believe that, do you?" he asked.  
  
"No," she admitted, smiling ruefully, "But I'm only telling you so because it's your birthday, you'll never hear me say it again!"  
  
Harry grinned. "I bet I could get it out of you."  
  
"I'd like to see you try!" she shot back, a mischievous grin on her face.  
  
The rest of Harry's day went smoothly. They had ice cream and cake for lunch in his honor, and Hermione even sat across from Silver while they ate it. That night they were allowed to stay up as long as they liked, and soon it was only Harry, Ron, Silver, a reading Hermione, Snape, Lupin, and Dumbledore in the room.  
  
Lupin and Snape were watching Harry and Silver like hawks. Harry kept glancing up, uncomfortable at the eyes focused on him. He caught Dumbledore's eye and could have sworn Dumbledore winked at him.  
  
"My good men!" Dumbledore exclaimed, "I've just remembered that I have something highly intriguing to show you in my office – or my bedroom, whichever you'd like to call it."  
  
"No thanks," Snape grumbled, his eyes locked on Silver.  
  
"Maybe another time," Lupin agreed, staring just as pointedly at Harry.  
  
"I really do insist!" Dumbledore said, and he took each man by the wrist and fairly dragged them out.  
  
Silver let out a sigh of relief, which was echoed by Harry. They exchanged relieved glances.  
  
Suddenly Hermione snapped her book shut, causing the remaining three by the fire to jump.  
  
"Ron, I got a book about Quidditch, and there's a part I completely don't understand," she said, "Will you come look at it with me?"  
  
"No," Ron replied, "I'll look tomorrow."  
  
"But I really want you to look at it _now_," Hermione replied.  
  
"Well, bring it down here, then," Ron replied.  
  
"No, Ron, I _really_ think you should come up with me and look at it. _Right now_," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes.  
  
"Oh fine," Ron exclaimed exasperatedly. He looked up at Harry and then froze. He turned to Silver, and then back to Harry, and then to Hermione.  
  
"_Ohhh_," he said in a completely non-subtle manner.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, leading him out of the room.  
  
Harry looked uncertainly at Silver. She was already looking at him. She was close – very close. He was sitting down with his side to the fire, and she was sitting facing the other way, but right beside him. He was surprised he had just realized it. It would be so easy to just reach over and...  
  
Their eyes locked, and this time there was nobody to interrupt. Harry also realized that she wasn't blocking him. He leaned closer to her.  
  
"Harry," she whispered, "I trust you."  
  
He reached out and hooked an arm around her waist. He felt her hand travel to the back of his neck as she leaned closer to him, as well.  
  
"Don't hurt me," she whispered as he put his other arm around her.  
  
Harry had no intention of hurting her – ever – and intended to show her just that. He gazed down into her sweet upturned face as they drew closer, thinking that it would be a shame to block it out by closing his eyes. His lips met hers and a spectacular warmth flowed through his entire body. A string of fireworks went off across his lips. He closed his eyes and simply felt. Her arms were around his neck as he pulled her closer. _I won't hurt you_, he thought, desperately hoping that she would be able to just feel what he was thinking, _I would never hurt you. I couldn't_. A few seconds afterwards they parted, although Harry kept his arms around her, and she allowed one of her hands to hang on to the back of his neck. Harry found himself looking into her eyes, eyes that were alight with wonder. He knew by looking at her that she knew what he had been thinking. He began to pull her to him again, and she raised no objection, when they heard footsteps. At first Harry didn't care, but she suddenly jumped away from him, and it took him a moment to figure out that footsteps meant that there was somebody coming.  
  
Snape pushed the door open just as he released her and glared at Harry with fervent suspicion. Harry did his best to look completely innocent, and was relieved when Lupin and Dumbledore appeared behind Snape.  
  
"Severus," Dumbledore was saying, "I really did think it was interesting."  
  
"Where's everyone else?" Snape asked suspiciously, completely ignoring Dumbledore.  
  
"We stuffed them in a closet," Harry replied, feeling too good to let Snape get away with being a jerk.  
  
"Really, Severus," Lupin said, "They obviously went to bed. As you two should do," he added, giving them a pointed look.  
  
They rose and followed the adults up the stairs. Snape escorted Silver all the way to Sirius' room without even letting her pause to say goodnight, but Harry felt that he didn't need to hear it.  
  
"So, what happened, mate?" Ron asked excitedly as he entered.  
  
Harry didn't answer as he fell onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow, feeling as if he could yell with happiness.  
  
Ron chuckled. "I thought so."


	7. The Perfect Surname

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowlings things. Peace out.

**-----------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 7 – The Perfect Surname**  
  
The weeks of August flew by uneventfully. Lupin was gone during the full moon, but he came back unharmed, and after resting a day seemed revitalized. Harry hadn't kissed Silver again, but that was mostly because they had never been alone since the night of his birthday. Snape hovered around her like an overly protective parent and glared at Harry whenever he had the nerve to so much as brush against her. There were moments, however, when Harry felt the inexplicable desire to pull her into his arms. Whenever he was particularly nice (or if she just felt like it), she would give him a special smile that she never gave anybody else. Once in a while Esperanza would come and snuggle up to him, and Harry was sure that he was doing it for Silver, although she never said anything. He had begun to miss Hogwarts terribly, however, and once in a while became exceptionally frustrated at the fact that Snape was virtually Silver's shadow. _At least he won't be able to bother us in the Gryffindor common room_, Harry thought, _If she is a Gryffindor. If not, I'll just kiss her during class._  
  
Needless to say, Harry was very happy on August 31st, while everyone was making preparations for the next day. He packed with vigor, and even cleaned Hedwig's cage just for the heck of it. Hedwig was very appreciative, and hovered around him as he packed.  
  
"Looks like you've got your own Snape," Ron teased.  
  
"Don't say that name," Harry grumbled.  
  
Ron laughed. "A bit frustrated, mate?"  
  
"He's _always_ by her," Harry complained, "When does he go to the bathroom?"  
  
Ron laughed even harder as they continued to pack.  
  
"Oy! Come on, Harry, it's nearly seven!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"So what?" Harry replied as he continued to pack.  
  
"Dumbledore wanted everybody to be at that meeting at seven o' clock, remember?"  
  
"Oh," Harry said as he remembered Dumbledore giving the announcement at breakfast while he had been inching closer to Silver at the breakfast table, only to be stopped by Snape, who hovered over her chair and began to make a great deal of fuss over her toast, insisting it didn't have enough butter.  
  
He and Ron ran down the stairs and arrived in time to see that they weren't the only ones who had forgotten about the meeting. Ron sat down next to Hermione, and Harry next to him. Then, amazingly, Silver walked through the door unescorted. Even Dumbledore looked surprised. She beamed at Harry and sat down next to him on the last remaining spot on the couch. Harry was absolutely elated.  
  
"Hey," he greeted warmly as she sat down next to him.  
  
She put her head on his shoulder in response.  
  
He grinned uncontrollably. "Shook him off?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, Harry, don't be terrible," she chided halfheartedly, "He's only doing what he thinks is right."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Harry grumbled, but he wasn't really angry, in fact, he was still grinning ear to ear.  
  
He glanced down at her hand, which lay in her lap. It was practically screaming to be held. He inched his hand over and put it over hers. She beamed up at him and turned her hand over, interlacing her fingers with his. Ron was watching interestedly, and Hermione promptly smacked him on the shoulder and muttered something about minding his own business.  
  
Soon everyone was present except for Snape. Dumbledore noted his absence and the room sat in complete silence. Suddenly Snape swept in. His eyes locked on Silver, and then traveled down her arm and up Harry's to his face. His hand flew to his robes as if he were going to curse Harry on the spot.  
  
"Severus," Dumbledore said cheerfully, "Please, have a seat."  
  
Snape sat grudgingly on the only remaining chair, which was much too far away from Harry and Silver to his liking.  
  
For once, it was Harry who smirked at Snape.  
  
"Now, I am calling this meeting for a number of reasons," Dumbledore said, "The first, being safety for the students while at Hogwarts. Students!"  
  
They all looked up at him to show that they were giving him their full attention. Dumbledore's eyes flickered over each of their faces and briefly on Harry and Silver's interlocked hands.  
  
"Voldemort," many people in the room flinched, and Harry was pleased that Silver was not one of them (and also rather pleased that Snape was), "Is at large. Therefore, I am asking you students to confide _only_ in the members of the Order at your school. These people are myself, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Professor Hagrid, and I daresay your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. But I won't spoil that surprise for you."  
  
They all looked as if they rather wished he would, which caused him to smile, but he didn't say any more on the subject.  
  
"Harry, you and I will be practicing Occlumency every Monday and Wednesday at six o' clock. The password to my office is Sugar Quill – at least for the present."  
  
Harry nodded. He really didn't feel like Occlumency again, but he thought it would probably be better without Snape trying to invade his most private thoughts.  
  
"Silver, we really must decide on a surname for you," Dumbledore continued.  
  
All eyes turned to Silver, who straightened interestedly.  
  
"Your mother's surname will certainly not do, therefore, we must make one up." Dumbledore sounded delighted at the thought.  
  
"But couldn't you tell me my father's surname?" Silver asked pointedly.  
  
"No, I'm afraid that will not do," Dumbledore replied calmly, as though he had been expecting the question.  
  
Silver glared at him a bit moodily.  
  
"So," Dumbledore said, "Any suggestions, anybody?"  
  
"How about Potter?" Ron sniggered.  
  
Harry blushed furiously and gave Ron a murderous glare. Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny dissolved into laughter. Hermione seemed to be trying very hard not to laugh. Tonks giggled, but stopped quickly when Harry glared at her. Lupin looked highly amused, as if he were holding in a fit of laughter that could prove dangerous.  
  
"I think not," Snape said sulkily.  
  
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and his beard quivered dangerously, but he managed to keep control as he responded, "I must rather agree with Severus."  
  
Soon suggestions were being yelled out all across the room.  
  
"What about Snape?" Ron snickered quietly as he saw Snape's moody glare at them from across the room.  
  
Harry threw a pillow at him. In his opinion, the idea was not funny in the slightest. Silver looked amused at his reaction, but said nothing.  
  
The suggestions ranged from, "Lianyi" (Moody) to "Parks" (Mrs. Weasley), and every so often somebody would yell out, "Potter!" just to see Harry blush and glare.  
  
Suddenly Tonks stood up. "I know!" she declared, a triumphant gleam in her eye.  
  
Everybody quieted to look at her.  
  
"Well, since Silver's so mysterious," she began, eyeing Silver with a bit of envy, "We should give her a mysterious last name, one that will make people wonder."  
  
Silver leaned forward slightly, as did many others in the room.  
  
"I also think it should make people wonder in kind of a bad way, so she's not mauled by boys in the halls," Tonks said, eyeing Silver with the same gleam in her eye, "I think it should be Riddle!"  
  
"You want her to be Voldemort's daughter?" Harry asked suspiciously.  
  
Some people jumped at the sound of his name, others were too shocked at the suggestion to react.  
  
"Well, it's not like Tom Riddle was the only one in the world with that last name," Tonks argued, "and besides, it fits her perfectly – she'll be mysterious, like a riddle."  
  
"People are going to think she's Voldemort's daughter," Harry repeated. Snape looked as if he agreed.  
  
Tonks sighed. "Fine then, go with Potter instead," she snapped, "But if you don't give her a last name that's going to make people wonder, you'll be hexing every boy that passes by her in the halls so that they don't jump her!"  
  
"Well the last name Riddle will attract every Slytherin in the school!" Harry replied.  
  
At Snape's furious glare he added quickly, "Not that all Slytherins are bad, but the sons and daughters of Death Eaters, you know, you have to wonder."  
  
For a moment everyone sat in thought.  
  
"Maybe it is a good idea," Harry said suddenly, "Like Tonks said..." He looked at Dumbledore questioningly.  
  
"I rather like the idea, myself," Dumbledore replied slowly. "I believe, however, that the decision is up to Silver."  
  
"Silver Riddle" Silver said quietly, as though trying it out. "I like it."  
  
"Riddle it is," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Children," Mrs. Weasley announced, "I think you should go off to bed."  
  
"Mum," Ron said, "It's _eight thirty_."  
  
"I'm perfectly aware of the time, thank you," she snapped, "But you have a big day tomorrow, so I suggest you get upstairs."  
  
They all walked up the stairs and into their own rooms, but barely five minutes had passed when there was a knock on the door.  
  
"In you come," Ron called. Hermione and Ginny came in, looking happy.  
  
They had just sat down when there was another, softer knock on the door. Harry knew exactly who it was. He jumped out of bed and swept the door open, grinning down at her. Apparently, it was rather a good smile, for she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. A bit dumbfounded, he ushered her in, hoping for another. She climbed on to his bed and they sat facing Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.  
  
"Are you excited?" Ginny asked Silver.  
  
Silver nodded. "Very," she assured her.  
  
"I bet you'll be in Gryffindor," Ron said, looking her up and down in a way Harry was not too sure he liked.  
  
Silver smiled. "I hope I am, but I don't know if I have all the qualities. I mean, you all show that you're daring and brave, but I don't."  
  
"Sure you do," Hermione replied.  
  
Silver glanced up in surprise.  
  
"You sat next to me at breakfast today, remember?" Hermione asked, giving Silver the first smile Harry thought he'd ever seen her give in Silver's direction.  
  
Silver smiled and the two girls regarded each other for a moment.  
  
"I'm sorry for being so mean," Hermione said quietly.  
  
Silver looked shocked.  
  
"I'd like to be your friend," Hermione continued, "If you'll have me."  
  
She glanced timidly up at Silver.  
  
"Really?" Silver breathed, a smile lighting her features.  
  
Hermione smiled. "Really."  
  
Silver looked as if she were going to fly off the bed at any second and tackle Hermione in a hug, but she stayed on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Of course!" she exclaimed.  
  
Hermione looked very happy immediately. Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances and then shrugged. Ginny giggled nervously, but happily at the same time.  
  
The door opened and Harry half expected to see Snape, yelling a triumphant "Aha!", but it was Lupin.  
  
"You guys had better get to bed," he instructed, "Molly's coming up to check on you, and Snape's coming to check on you." He motioned to Silver at the last part of his sentence. Then, he disappeared.  
  
"Something tells me they didn't want him to come and give warning," Ron said.  
  
"Bye!" everyone whispered as the girls filed out of the room.  
  
Ron and Harry lay quietly, and they heard Mrs. Weasley opening the door to the girl's room and saying sweetly, "Good night, girls."  
  
"Goodnight," they sung out in unison.  
  
Snape threw their door open and they pretended to be surprised. He glanced at the corners of the room suspiciously, as if he expected them to have stuffed Silver into one of them, and then backed away disappointedly.  
  
"Severus, you're upsetting them!" Mrs. Weasley reprimanded as she came running towards the door, "They need to be relaxed before they go to sleep or they'll have bad dreams!"  
  
Ron and Harry smiled sweetly at Snape, who sneered at them in reply.  
  
"Shoo!" Mrs. Weasley told him firmly, making shooing motions with her hands as she said so.  
  
Looking defeated, Snape turned and walked towards Silver's bedroom.  
  
"Good night, boys," Mrs. Weasley said in a sugary-sweet voice.  
  
"Night," they called out.  
  
She shut the door and they burst into a fit of laughter.  
  
"My mum can be cool sometimes," Ron admitted.  
  
"She acted like Snape was a stray cat!" Harry exclaimed gleefully.  
  
"It's disgusting the way he treats us compared to Silver," Ron said, "I bet he wishes her sweet dreams and everything."  
  
"If we're quiet we can find out," Harry said mischievously.  
  
He and Ron got out of bed and poked their heads out. They nearly jumped back, because Snape was somehow just entering Silver's room.  
  
"What was he doing, tying his shoelace?" Ron whispered as he recovered from their near heart attack.  
  
They crept closer to the room and then stood still, craning for any noise to tell them if they were about to be found out.  
  
"Why aren't you asleep?" Snape demanded gently, "You need to get some sleep for tomorrow."  
  
"I know, it's just hard to go to sleep thinking about it," Silver replied.  
  
They heard the bed creak as Snape sat down.  
  
"Get off of his bed, you slimeball," Harry muttered under his breath. Ron elbowed him in the stomach to be quiet.  
  
"Are you nervous?" Snape asked.  
  
"A little," Silver replied honestly, "About the Sorting, mostly."  
  
"Any house they put you in will be the one you belong in, so there's no need to worry," Snape replied.  
  
"But what if I don't get Sorted at all? What if I just sit there for ages with the hat on my head and nothing happens?" she asked.  
  
Harry remembered thinking the exact same thing before he was sorted.  
  
Snape chuckled. "That won't happen," he assured her.  
  
"What if everyone hates me?" she asked.  
  
"Everyone won't hate you," Snape replied, "Potter and the Weasleys, for one, love you, so you know you'll at least have them. Miss Granger, on the other hand..."  
  
Snape's voice became dangerously bitter as he said Hermione's name.  
  
"Oh no," Silver said quickly, "We made up."  
  
"When?" Snape asked.  
  
"Well...tonight," she admitted, "We just wanted to all say goodnight to each other in Harry and Ron's room for a bit, and we made up then."  
  
"You were out of bed?" Snape asked. Harry could almost see him raising his eyebrows.  
  
"Well, yes, but it's a good thing we were or Hermione and I wouldn't have made friends, right?" Silver insisted.  
  
"I suppose," Snape said. To Harry, it didn't sound as if he supposed anything at all, but even Snape couldn't say no to those beautiful, deep eyes.  
  
"So," Snape said, "Silver Riddle, is it?"  
  
"I think it sounds mysterious," Silver ventured.  
  
"Indeed," Snape replied.  
  
Then, to Harry's shock, he continued, "If anybody gives you any problems, I want you to tell Potter straight away."  
  
"You trust him?" Silver asked.  
  
"Not in the least," Snape replied distastefully, "But he can hex the students, whereas I would get fired for doing so. And he'd better hex them well; or he'll be getting a detention."  
  
Harry was dumbfounded. Snape actually wanted him to attack the students.  
  
"I hope Malfoy gives her lots of trouble," Ron whispered gleefully beside him.  
  
Harry couldn't help but agree.  
  
"That's terrible," Silver informed him, although Harry could tell she was smiling.  
  
"Yes, well..." Snape replied, not sounding the least bit repentant, "Goodnight."  
  
"Night," Silver replied with her usual sweetness.  
  
It took Ron and Harry a moment to realize that Snape would be exiting at any moment. They sprinted back down the hall, shut the door quietly, and leaped under their covers. _There's no way he didn't hear those footsteps_, Harry thought ruefully. The door banged open and they quickly pretended to be asleep. Harry had frozen in a very uncomfortable position, and hoped that Snape would go away quickly. Amazingly enough, Snape apparently decided he had merely imagined the footsteps, and closed the door immediately.  
  
"Ouch," Ron complained from beside him.  
  
"I'll say," Harry agreed, rubbing the arm that had been trapped under his body.  
  
For a few minutes, all was silent as they stared up into the darkness. Just as Harry was getting drowsy, Ron spoke.  
  
"I bet you anything he knew what we were doing and was just standing there to cause us pain."  
  
Harry agreed.


	8. Ready?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's stuff. (You know, it gets boring writing these after a while)

**------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 8 – Ready?  
**  
The next morning Harry's eyes opened suddenly, as if he had just been shocked out of his sleep. He blinked a few times and fumbled for his glasses. As his fingers closed over them, Mrs. Weasley's voice rang up the stairs.  
  
"Harry, Ron, Ginny, UP!"  
  
Ron rolled over with a groan beside him. Harry sat up and let a good night's sleep fill him with energy as he got up and got dressed in his Hogwarts robes.  
  
"Wake up, Weasley!" he ordered Ron, throwing a Chocolate Frog he spied in a corner at his head.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'm getting up," Ron mumbled. And he did, but very slowly.  
  
After a few minutes had passed and Ron was still sitting on the edge of his bed blinking sleepily, Harry lost patience.  
  
"Meet you downstairs!" he called over his shoulder as he dragged his things downstairs.  
  
"Morning, Harry," Lupin greeted, "Put your stuff over here."  
  
Harry glanced at a pile of trunks, along with a basket containing Crookshanks and Esperanza's empty cage, which lay by the door, and added his things to the equation. Hedwig was still sleeping when he set her on top of his trunk. He glanced upwards to see Lupin staring at him.  
  
"Come, Harry," Lupin invited.  
  
Harry followed him, wishing that he didn't have to say goodbye. As he passed the living room, he glimpsed Silver and Hermione sitting in it, dressed in their Hogwarts robes. Lupin led him into the kitchen, which was completely deserted, and turned to him.  
  
"Afraid we'll have to say goodbye, Harry."  
  
Harry felt a lump in his throat that he hadn't expected to be there. Lupin was going to be lonely, he knew. As lonely as Sirius had been, staying in this house by himself... _Don't get worked up over Sirius now_, he told himself, _or Lupin_. But he unwillingly felt his throat tightening.  
  
"Yeah," he croaked in response.  
  
"Harry," Lupin said quietly.  
  
Harry glanced upwards and met Lupin's eye. Lupin was staring at him with a kind of fierce pride that Harry had often felt proud of seeing in Sirius' eyes. Harry was surprised at the fact that he felt just as happy upon seeing it from Lupin. He allowed Lupin to step forward and hug him, and he hugged him back fiercely. In a way, hugging Lupin felt as if he were also hugging Sirius and his father. Lupin released him and held him at arm's length for a moment.  
  
"You are truly your father's son, Harry," he said. Harry had heard it before, but he never appreciated it so much until then.  
  
"Thanks," he replied.  
  
Lupin put his arm around his shoulder as they began to walk back toward the living room.  
  
"If you ever need me, Harry, anytime, just let me know and I'll be there," he promised, "Unless it's a full moon, of course. And I can be at all your Hogsmeade weekends."  
  
Harry smiled, and felt a wave of relief wash over him. He knew that he could actually ask Lupin to come and be with him, seeing as he wasn't on the run from the law.  
  
"Alright," he agreed as they entered the living room.  
  
The scene was strangely peaceful. Snape was sitting in an armchair in the corner, and glanced up briefly as they entered, but then returned his attention to the book in his lap. Silver and Hermione were chatting on a couch against the right wall, and Dumbledore was standing by the fireplace directly to their left, seemingly waiting to greet them. Tonks and Moody stood talking quietly in the left corner, and Mr. Weasley was talking to Kingsley on the couch against the far wall. Lupin squeezed his shoulder and walked towards Dumbledore.  
  
Silver looked up at him and positively beamed. He could see excitement along with apprehension in her eyes. Hermione looked up as well, and smiled at him, too. He grinned back at them both as he walked over.  
  
"Excited?" he asked Silver. She nodded earnestly.  
  
"I was just telling her about the classes," Hermione said in an explanatory tone. Then, she turned to Silver and returned to their conversation.  
  
"Right," she said, in the bossy tone she used so often, "So, you see, Arithmacy is a much more worthwhile subject than Divination. You should drop it and transfer."  
  
Silver looked up at Harry for help.  
  
"How about," Harry suggested, "She starts out with divination, and if the crystal ball tells her to switch to Arithmacy, she does?"  
  
Hermione looked up at him with a trace of annoyance, but Silver smiled. Harry glanced over at Snape and could've sworn he saw a grin, but it disappeared as soon as he focused.  
  
"I'm _really_ horrible with numbers, though," Silver was saying to a disappointed Hermione.  
  
Suddenly the doors opened and trays of muffins and milk glasses came through. Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny arrived instantly.  
  
"Breakfast," Ron mumbled sleepily as he took a huge bite of his blueberry muffin.  
  
Harry bravely bit into his cranberry muffin, to discover that it was quite good. Suddenly, he spied Silver's. "Hey, what's yours?" he asked.  
  
She grinned. "Chocolate chip," she answered.  
  
"Oclate ip?!" Ron exclaimed through a mouthful, "air?"  
  
Harry looked at the tray to see that there were definitely no more chocolate chip muffins, but when they insisted on knowing where she got it, she would only smile mysteriously.  
  
"Riddle my foot," Ron muttered under his breath as he searched the room for a sign of chocolate chips.  
  
Silver heard him, however, and as she took another bite she said, "Mmmm," in a very tantalizing way.  
  
Ron scowled and kept quiet.  
  
After everyone had eaten, Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat. Everyone quieted respectfully.  
  
"Myself, Severus, and Minerva will be leaving for Hogwarts shortly - we will not be taking the train," he announced, "Children, you will all take the Knight Bus to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, and we will see you there. Silver, you need not go with the first years when you first arrive at Hogwarts, just follow my instructions when you arrive in the Great Hall."  
  
Silver nodded, and Dumbledore gave her a small bow.  
  
"I believe any goodbyes anybody needs to make should be made at this time," Dumbledore instructed.  
  
As if on cue, everyone stood up. Silver went straight over to Snape and threw her arms around him. He looked slightly disgruntled, but put his arms around her anyway.  
  
She looked up at him mournfully, "Bye," she said.  
  
"Nonsense," he replied, "You'll be seeing me at the castle in a matter of hours."  
  
"I know," she said, sweetly laying her head against him, "But I'll miss you."  
  
"Well, there's certainly no need to," he said practically.  
  
"Is too," she replied stubbornly.  
  
He looked as if he were going to argue with her, but decided against it. He touched her hair awkwardly, and looked relieved when she released him. Silver also hugged Mr. Weasley, Kingsley, Lupin, and Dumbledore goodbye. Mrs. Weasley made as if to hug her, but she looked completely terrified and backed into Snape's arms ("She's a bit...sensitive...to women..." he explained awkwardly.) so Mrs. Weasley had to settle for taking one of her hands in both of hers and wishing her a good school year ("the dear!"). Harry said goodbye to everybody in the room (including a sullen "See you soon" to Snape), and then allowed Lupin to embrace him once more before gathering his things.  
  
As they all walked out to the curb, escorted by Lupin, Esperanza rattled his cage excitedly.  
  
"Oh, trust me," Silver told him, "You'll get plenty of exercise just keeping your balance on this trip."  
  
The owl hooted in what Harry thought was an excited manner.  
  
"Well," Lupin said, "You guys should summon your bus."  
  
Silver raised her wand immediately, and momentarily the purple knight bus was in front of them.  
  
"Bye!" they all called to Lupin as they boarded.  
  
Stan attempted to take ahold of Silver's hand as they boarded, but he quickly released her when Harry held his wand up to his throat and threatened to perform every hex he knew.  
  
"Let's go to the top floor," Silver said adventurously.  
  
"Yeah, just what we need," Ron said, "To be tossed around at a dangerous height."  
  
Silver giggled as she led the way up the stairs. The top floor was a bit smaller than the previous, but they fit in with room to spare. Silver stuck Esperanza's cage to the wall with a Sticking Charm, but before she sat back down the bus started. Harry caught her, although he had no idea how, and quickly pulled her beside him. This time he started out with his arm around her waist, and she didn't seem to mind in the least. On the contrary, she gave him a content smile while the bus was going straight. As they turned a particularly nasty corner, Esperanza gave an unpleasant screech.  
  
"Guess that's why they call them screech owls," Ron commented.  
  
Silver reached up and quickly unlatched the cage and withdrew Esperanza from it.  
  
"Poor baby," she said, cuddling the contented owl.  
  
Harry eyed it a bit suspiciously. It looked up at him innocently. He raised an eyebrow at it, and it turned away.  
  
After a few more unpleasant turns and stops, they heard the call from below, "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters!"  
  
They hurried down with all their things (Esperanza, Hedwig, and Pig making a racket as they did so), and stepped off to see the beautiful scarlet train standing in front of them.  
  
"Ooh, it's so pretty," Silver said delightedly.  
  
Harry grinned. It was so much easier to appreciate things when Silver was there appreciating them with him. After depositing all their luggage on the train, they went in to find a compartment.  
  
"Um, Harry," Hermione said tentatively, "Ron and I, since we're prefects..."  
  
"Go ahead," Harry replied. Then a thought struck him. "Hey – we never got our O.W.L. results!"  
  
Hermione looked shocked for a second, and then she shot a furious glance at Ron.  
  
"Ron, you didn't give it to him!"  
  
Ron blushed. "Oh yeah," he muttered, "Dont' know why Dumbledore gave it to me..."  
  
They went back to where they deposited their luggage, searched through until they found Ron's trunk, and then waited a good five minutes until he found an envelope with the Hogwarts crest.  
  
"Here you go, Harry," he panted as they ran back to board the train, "Sorry bout that, mate!"  
  
"There probably aren't any empty compartments left," Harry grumbled halfheartedly as Ron and Hermione departed.  
  
"Guys?" Ginny asked with extra sweetness in her voice, "I'm going to go sit with Dean, okay?"  
  
Harry briefly remembered Ginny's boyfriend. He wondered if they had written over the summer. Glancing at Silver's face, he could tell she could fill him in later.  
  
"Sure," he replied as Silver beamed Ginny off.  
  
They walked through the train, Harry peeking into compartments that looked empty from the window. They got to the end, and Harry looked into what seemed like the last empty one. He shut it immediately.  
  
"Dratted Loony Lovegood," he muttered. He didn't mind Luna so much ordinarily, but he had been thinking of sitting in a more – romantic – setting with Silver. Definitely not with Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom.  
  
"Loony?" Silver echoed curiously, "Oh, Luna, right?"  
  
Harry looked at her in surprise.  
  
"Hermione was telling me about people I would probably meet," she explained.  
  
"Oh," Harry said blankly, wondering why he himself hadn't thought of that, "Well, do you mind sitting with her? Neville's in there, too, and he's not that bad."  
  
"I don't mind at all," she replied, smiling.  
  
Shrugging, Harry opened the compartment door once more. It was much the same scene as when he had last seen Luna on the Hogwarts Express. She was sitting serenely, reading the Quibbler upside down and acting very interested in whatever it was. Neville looked up at Harry like he had just saved his life, but when he saw Silver, his mouth dropped open and simply hung like that. Harry wondered if that was how he had looked when Snape had asked him if he was trying to catch flies with his mouth. Harry attempted to give Neville a pointed look that obviously said that he and Silver wanted to sit together, but Neville just gaped from Harry to Silver. Sighing, Harry sat beside the lovestruck Neville and gave Silver a look of encouragement.  
  
"Um, excuse me," Silver began hesitantly. Luna looked up at her with those permanently shocked eyes of hers. "Would you mind scooting over a bit?" Silver gave her what Harry thought was an exceptionally sweet smile. Neville came very close to drooling.  
  
"Certainly," Luna replied in an otherworldly voice. She continued to look at Silver with her lamplike eyes until she had successfully caught Silver's attention.  
  
"Who are you?" Luna asked, as if this were something Silver should have told her immediately.  
  
"My name is Silver," Silver replied, then, with a glance at a very encouraging Harry, "Silver Riddle."  
  
Neville's mouth snapped shut. He scooted backwards with a look of horror that made Harry try horribly hard not to laugh.  
  
"Luna Lovegood," Luna replied, sticking out her hand to shake.  
  
Harry supposed she had read some article about Voldemort really being a teen pop singer.  
  
"Are you..." Neville stuttered, "Is she...is she...v...vol...vold..."  
  
"No, Neville, she's not," Harry broke in, "So just calm down."  
  
Neville did, but looked Silver up and down very suspiciously as he cautiously scooted back over. Silver gave him a very nonthreatening smile that succeeded in making his mouth drop open once more. Harry decided to ignore Neville and Luna and talk with Silver, and he did. He told her all about all of their classes. When he got to Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class, she looked terrified and excited at the same time.  
  
"I hope he brings in a unicorn," she sighed wistfully, "They're really very loyal once you have their trust."  
  
At this Luna peered pointedly over the bottom of the Quibbler and Neville tried desperately to remember what Silver had just said.  
  
"She can talk to animals," Harry informed them, before proceeding to tell her about Transfiguration. Suddenly he heard a familiar laugh headed their direction.  
  
"Neville, switch seats with Silver," he directed.  
  
"Why?" Neville asked suspiciously.  
  
"Now," Harry replied.  
  
Neville and Silver obeyed.  
  
"What is it, Harry?" Silver asked.  
  
Harry ignored her and pulled out his wand, silently practicing every hex he knew. Luna put down her magazine and looked about to say something when the door to their compartment slid open. Draco smirked as his eyes passed over first Harry, then Neville and Luna, but when they got to Silver, he did a double-take.  
  
"So it's true," he said, stepping in enough to let Harry catch a glimpse of Crabbe and Goyle behind him.  
  
Harry stood up. If he laid so much as one finger on her...  
  
Draco peered over Harry's shoulder, giving Silver a sickening smile and looking at her in a way Harry was certain he didn't like.  
  
"Hey," he said warmly.  
  
Silver looked pointedly ahead. Harry was one step away from shouting out every hex he had ever heard of.  
  
"Potter, do me a favor and move," Draco instructed, trying not to tear his eyes off of Silver.  
  
"Shove off or you'll regret it," Harry replied. He was deadly serious, and he was prepared. Draco seemed to sense that. He surveyed Harry with growing amusement.  
  
"Got a girlfriend, Potter?" he smirked.  
  
"Get lost before I hex you good," Harry answered. His wand was trembling to hold in all the hexes that were currently running through Harry's mind. Draco looked from Harry's threatening wand to his face, to Silver.  
  
"See you later," he told Silver in a voice that Harry didn't like one bit.  
  
"_Petrificus_..." he began. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle broke into a run.

He sat down. Everyone was staring at him as if he had just warded off Lord Voldemort. _Hopefully his feelings will change once he hears her last name_, he thought, _then again, his parents are death eaters, so he'll probably be happy he's found himself a suitable wife_. He pressed his fingers over his eyes. The last thing he needed was to hex Draco every time he passed Silver in the hallway, but it looked like that was what he was going to be doing. He hoped Hagrid had some really horrifying creatures in class – maybe they would finish Malfoy off for him. Silver put a hand on his arm, and he looked over into her startlingly deep eyes.  
  
"Thanks," she said.  
  
He grinned at her. "Anytime," he replied. _As long as you look at me like that_, he added silently in his head.  
  
"Open your O.W.L.s," she suggested suddenly.  
  
"You haven't gotten yours yet?" Neville asked incredulously.  
  
"Well, I was supposed to, but Ron forgot to give it to me," Harry explained.  
  
He opened his and looked half with dread, half with curiosity, at the contents. They were listed from best to worst.  
  
Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding   
Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding   
Charms: Outstanding   
History of Magic: Excellent – _I knew I got that goblin question wrong_, he thought.  
Transfiguration: Excellent   
Divination: Excellent   
Potions: Acceptable – _acceptable_? Harry thought, _he didn't fail me_? He had the sneaking suspicion Dumbledore had to intervene on his behalf.  
  
"Well, you did nicely," Silver commented as she peered over his shoulder, "Too bad about Potions."  
  
"Too bad?" he echoed, "Snape's going to kill me for making it into N.E.W.T.!"  
  
Silver giggled at his behavior. "You're mad because you got a good O.W.L.!" she protested.  
  
"No, you don't understand," he replied, "I _really_ didn't want to take potions this year!"  
  
He gazed down at his acceptable grade with hatred.  
  
"Well, if I'm in Gryffindor, at least you'll have it with me," Silver ventured.  
  
Harry imagined Malfoy trying to snog her in the middle of class, and immediately became a lot happier about his Potions grade. Especially after Snape had practically told him to hex every guy that came near her.  
  
Hermione and Ron joined them soon, and Harry told them about his O.W.L.s. They were shocked that he had gotten an Acceptable in Potions.  
  
Hermione had gotten an Outstanding in everything except for Care of Magical Creatures ("I can't believe I didn't try the milk!"). Harry tried very hard to conceal his delight at having beaten her at something.  
  
"Hogwarts," Ron suddenly announced, peering out the window.  
  
Silver immediately left Harry's side to go see.  
  
"Wow," she breathed, "I was never allowed to look at it from outside before."  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione gave her odd glances, but didn't say anything due to the fact that Luna was telling them all about some kind of creature or another. When they finally got off the train and convinced Silver that Esperanza would be well taken care of in the Owlry, they headed towards the threstral-pulled carriages.  
  
"Wow," Silver said softly, "They're scary but beautiful at the same time, aren't they?"  
  
For a moment the trio just stared at Silver.  
  
"You can see them?" Hermione asked finally.  
  
"Of course, can't you?" Silver replied.  
  
"Well, no, they're threstrals. Only people who have seen death can see them," Hermione replied.  
  
"Oh," Silver replied quietly, "Well, I've seen lots of death. When you're around people called Death Eaters all the time it's not too uncommon."  
  
Nobody had a reply to this; they just watched as Silver walked up and patted one fondly, speaking to it quietly enough so that they couldn't hear. Finally, they all climbed in and headed off towards the castle. When they arrived and entered the Great Hall, Harry couldn't help but notice how many stares Silver attracted. After almost losing her in the crowd twice, he kept a hand on her waist until they seated themselves at the Gryffindor table, except for Silver, who refused to sit at a table she had not yet been Sorted at. Instead, she stood by them, trying to catch a signal from Dumbledore as to where she was supposed to go. Harry looked up to see her beaming at someone – of course, when he followed her gaze, it was Snape. Snape was looking at Harry with a mixture of approval and suspicion. Harry supposed Snape had seen him put his hand on her waist as he led her to the table.  
  
"Look!" Hermione suddenly said gleefully, "Tonks!"  
  
Harry looked further down the staff table, and Tonks was sitting there, beaming at them. When she saw them, she turned her hair from straight and black to pink and curly in delight, making herself look a bit like a clown.  
  
"She must be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher!" Ron said, "And look, Professor Trelwaney's back!"  
  
Sure enough, she was. Harry sighed.  
  
"I guess its back to death signs everywhere for me," he commented. Silver giggled.  
  
Suddenly he realized that Dumbledore was making his way towards them just as the last of the students got seated. He walked imperially up to Silver and gave a little bow.  
  
"Come with me, if you please," he requested, holding out his hand.  
  
Silver accepted it, and, with a last glance at Harry, accompanied him to the stage, where he promptly walked with her behind a curtain. Harry was not the only one anxious about having her out of his sight; Snape was also twisting in his seat to see where she went. Harry ignored Ron's sniggers flatly ("Gee, Harry, I'm surprised you can sleep at night with her out of your sight.") and Hermione's comforts ("Don't worry, Harry, he just didn't want her sitting at the Gryffindor table before she was Sorted").  
  
The Sorting began almost immediately, but it's song was lost on Harry. All he knew was that it was something like the one when he first arrived – simply describing the qualities each house prized. To his disappointment, Silver wasn't included in the alphabetical order of the first years. He supposed she was going to be last. After "Wedberd, Alexis" had finally been sorted ("Hufflepuff"), Dumbledore walked onto the stage next to Professor McGonagall.  
  
"This year, students," he announced, his voice demanding everyone's attention, "We have a new exchange student with us. She will be transferring in at the sixth year. However, no matter what year a student is in when they come to Hogwarts, they must be Sorted. So, I present to you, Miss Silver Riddle."  
  
He said her name with painfully exact pronunciation and at her last name whispers broke out all around.  
  
"Riddle, did he say?"   
"Wasn't that you-know-who's last name?"   
"You-Know-Who's daughter is at Hogwarts!"   
"I thought..."  
  
Everybody's voice trailed off as Silver stepped onto the stage. She looked very, very beautiful in the stage lighting. The light seemed to radiate off of her, making her look like some kind of angel. She sat serenely on the stool and Dumbledore did the honor of placing the Sorting Hat on her head. No more than a few seconds had passed when the Sorting Hat declared, "GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Dumbledore removed the hat and bowed Silver off the stage. The Gryffindor table completely erupted. Among the cheering, there were whistles and catcalls from the boys of all the tables, and which unsettled Harry slightly. It took minutes after Silver sat down in between Harry and Hermione for the cheering to completely subside. Dumbledore, however, broke it off with a small clap of his hands. Silver beamed up at Harry.  
  
"I _am_ a Gryffindor," she said, sounding amazed.  
  
"Course you are," he replied, earning himself a hug. He couldn't help but look a bit smug at all the jealous glances thrown his way.  
  
"-new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Professor Tonks!" Dumbledore was saying. Everyone cheered for Tonks as she changed her hair so fast it was hard to keep track of, a smile on her face the whole time.  
  
"I am sure you all would also like to welcome back your old Divination teacher, Professor Trel-"Dumbledore began, but Professor Trelwaney stopped him by standing up.  
  
"No applause, please," she requested in her misty voice, "It interferes with the Inner Eye."  
  
There were many snorts at this, but apparently they didn't interfere with her Inner Eye, because she sat down serenely. Dumbledore gave them his usual, "Tuck in!" and they all feasted. Harry noticed that Silver picked at her food.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Well, nothing, it's just that my Sorting was weird," she said.  
  
"No it wasn't, you tried on the hat and it picked you a house, just like everyone else," he said.  
  
She didn't look reassured. "No, mine was different," she replied, but she refused to say how.  
  
Harry decided that she was probably just stressed over being singled out on stage like that and having her every move watched by every boy in the room. Harry glared at a few of them, and they turned away reluctantly. Silver's good mood seemed to return when they reached the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"It's so – _neat_," she exclaimed, beaming her approval and causing several guys to gape openly. She put her hand to her mouth as she stifled a yawn. "I'm a bit tired," she admitted.  
  
Harry smiled. "Well, Ron and I will meet you and Hermione in the common room tomorrow morning," he told her.  
  
"Alright," she replied.  
  
She looked up at him for a second before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him. Harry hugged her back tightly. When they parted, her eyes were bright.  
  
"What is it?" he asked her.  
  
She shook her head. "Nothing," she replied, "See you in the morning."  
  
Harry wanted to find out what was really wrong, but knew that she would never tell him around all these people anyway, so he simply watched her and Hermione walk up the staircase to the girl's dormitories. At the top, she turned to look at him, a smile on her face.  
  
"Night," he called up to her.  
  
"Night, Harry," she replied sweetly.  
  
Harry couldn't wipe the grin on his face as he turned to an array of jealous boys.  
  
"C'mon," he said to Ron, heading for the boys dorms.  
  
He was bombarded with questions about Silver on the way.  
  
"Is she your girlfriend?"   
"Have you kissed her?"   
"She's hot, where'd you find her?"   
"Would you hex me if I tried to snog her?"  
  
"Look guys," Harry said, "Here's what you need to know: leave her alone, and I don't hurt you."  
  
They eyed him as if they didn't quite know if he was serious or not and left disappointed.  
  
"Leave her alone, and I don't hurt you," Ron mimicked in a high voice.  
  
Harry shot him a detesting look.  
  
"Sorry, sorry," he apologized, looking more amused than sorry.  
  
Harry fell asleep without clearing his mind at all, and paid the consequences.  
  
In his dream, he and Silver were riding on the back of a giant hippogriff over the Great Lake, when suddenly she slid. Harry watched in horror as she plopped into the lake, and he immediately directed the hippogriff after her. Once they submerged under the surface of the water, however, he was in a dark, rather small dungeon.  
  
"You mindless idiots have not yet found her?" a cold, cruel voice asked.  
  
"No, My Lord, but we are very, very close," a woman replied breathlessly.  
  
"You have failed me," he replied mercilessly, "And you will pay the price."  
  
"No, my Lord, no! _Please_, have mercy!" she begged, and was echoed by several others. Harry couldn't make out much in the dim light, but he saw a tall man sitting on a throne with several masked people at his feet, and he knew enough to know what was going on.  
  
"Have mercy?" Voldemort echoed, "_Have mercy_? Let me tell you something, you worthless piece of _scum_, that _girl_ knows too much!"  
  
"But, my Lord," the woman pleaded, "She wouldn't tell anyone, ever! I have made sure that she knows what will happen if she ever –"  
  
"No!" Voldemort bellowed, and a snake hissed angrily by his side. "I want that girl, if it is the last thing you do! She will not stay silent forever!"  
  
The Death Eaters at his feet whimpered pleas of mercy, but he was deaf to them.  
  
"Now," he said, a quiet colorless tone to his voice, "You shall learn what happens to those that fail me. _Crucio_!"  
  
Their whimpers quickly turned to screams of pain. Harry's scar ignited as if on fire and he woke with a muffled yelp.  
  
"Harry, mate, wake _up_!" Ron was hissing as he stuffed a pillow over Harry's mouth to stifle the yell.  
  
Harry shot upwards, nearly knocking his head into Ron's in the process.  
  
"_What_ happened?" Ron demanded, sitting on the edge of his bed.  
  
"Nothing," Harry muttered.  
  
"Don't give me that, Harry, I could tell by listening to you that something happened," Ron replied.  
  
"What do you know?" Harry asked grudgingly.  
  
"You kept saying, 'He's after Silver, he wants Silver'," Ron replied.  
  
"Well then you pretty much know, don't you?" Harry said exasperatedly, "Voldemort wants Silver. He said she knows too much."  
  
"Well wouldn't she already have told Dumbledore?" Ron asked, cringing as Harry said Voldemort's name.  
  
"No, you dunderhead," Harry replied, sounding dangerously like Snape, "Silver doesn't trust that easily."  
  
"Not even _Dumbledore_, the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of?" Ron asked incredulously.  
  
"Not even him," Harry replied, "All she knows is that everybody she's ever met has hurt her, so why would she tell him?"  
  
Ron sighed. "Well, mate, you'd better go talk to him tomorrow morning."  
  
"Nah, Harry replied, "I have Occlumency with him at six anyway."  
  
Ron looked doubtful, but replied, "Okay. Try and get some sleep, mate. I think those dreams tire you out more than being awake would."  
  
Harry had to agree. He closed his eyes and in a matter of seconds drifted off into an uneasy but dreamless sleep. 


	9. Rough Day

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items...the list goes on and on.

**------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 9 – "Rough Day"**  
  
The next morning Harry awoke with a headache. He grumbled about his bed, his nightstand, and his socks as he dressed. Even with his glasses on, things were still a bit fuzzy. His vision cleared after he had successfully cursed out every item in the room under his breath. His roommates looked at him half awed, half scared.  
  
"Um, mate, are you okay?" Ron asked finally.  
  
"What makes you think I wouldn't be?" Harry snapped in reply as he headed for the common room.  
  
When he finally got there, he felt a bit better at the sight of Silver and Hermione. He sat down next to Silver on the end of the couch, muttering a hello and rubbing his forehead.  
  
"Harry! What's wrong?" Silver asked, and she was echoed by Hermione.  
  
"Dream. Headache," he answered shortly.  
  
"You had a dream? About V...V..." Hermione hesitated to say his name.  
  
"Yes!" he snapped, "Now just leave me alone!"  
  
Silver sympathetically squeezed his shoulder, and then put her arms around him. He felt his anger ebbing away as she whispered sweetly into his ear, "Don't be mad."  
  
"Sorry," he replied gruffly.  
  
"Do you want to tell me about the dream?" she asked, pulling away slightly and looking into his eyes.  
  
"How do you expect me to say no when you're looking at me like that?" he replied, although he was more amused than exasperated.  
  
She smiled in response. Harry related his dream to her from beginning to end, not leaving anything out. Ron and Hermione were both listening intently, as well. Silver didn't seem scared by the dream in the least.  
  
"Well, we knew they were after me, didn't we?" she asked smartly.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose," Harry admitted, absentmindedly playing with her hair.  
  
"Let's go get our schedules and eat breakfast," Hermione suggested.  
  
Harry was in a much better mood as they got their schedules, but he groaned when he looked at it.  
  
"I hate having Potions on Mondays," he groaned, "What a way to start off the week."  
  
"At least we have it last, mate," Ron comforted.  
  
Harry peered over at Silver's schedule and was very pleased that they had all of the same classes. She glanced up at him, smiling.  
  
"We have all our classes together," he informed her, trying not to be too happy about the look of delight on her face when he told her so.  
  
"Come on, let's go eat," Ron said, "Otherwise we'll be late to class. Care of Magical Creatures, first thing."  
  
Harry wondered exactly what kind of magical creatures Hagrid had in store for them. As they sat down, owls began swooping in. Hedwig came in and nipped Harry's ear affectionately, although she didn't have any letters for him. He offered her some of his bacon and she accepted delightedly.  
  
"Ooh, look!" Silver exclaimed.  
  
Harry looked up to see a very proud looking Esperanza come sailing in carrying not one, but two letters.  
  
Silver gave the owl a kiss on the head, and Harry felt a bit jealous, but he was more interested in her letters. Hedwig gave a proud hoot for no apparent reason. Silver handed him one of the letters.  
  
"It's for you, Esperanza just wanted to carry it, so Hedwig let him," she explained.  
  
Harry decided that Silver had a weird owl, but didn't say anything. "Thanks," he said, opening it to discover that it was from Lupin.  
  
_Harry,  
  
Hope you're having a good time! Molly and Arthur invited me to come to their house for a while, but I know Sirius would want me to fix up headquarters. It should be quite a job fixing this place for human habitation. Moody and Molly are coming to help me every Monday and Wednesday, and I've decided to spend Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Burrow. Fridays and the weekend, however, will be solely devoted to either this old house, or visiting you.  
  
See you soon!  
  
"Lupin"  
_  
Harry grinned. He supposed it was a bit odd that he called Lupin by his surname, but it was the same as calling Dumbledore Dumbledore.  
  
"Yours from Lupin, too?" he asked.  
  
"Yep," Silver confirmed. He glanced over and was slightly happy at the fact that his was longer.  
  
Esperanza and Hedwig flew off together after they had hooted their goodbyes, and the first bell rang to get to class.  
  
"Well," Hermione said, sounding a bit scared, "Care of Magical Creatures, year six."  
  
The foursome walked out to Hagrid's hut and were both scared and curious when he told them he had a "special surprise".  
  
He led them to the back, and Harry was surprised at what he saw. Five palomino horses the twice the size of normal ones were grazing in a makeshift pasture. Harry was surprised he hadn't seen them over Hagrid's hut. He recognized them as the same type of horses that pulled the Beauxbatons carriages. As they passed Malfoy, Harry couldn't help but get a kick out of hearing him mutter, "Bloody hell, they're big. They're really big."  
  
He completely missed Hagrid's explanation of what, exactly, the creatures were, as one of them lifted it's head, let out an earsplitting whinny, and began to gallop the pasture fence, causing it's pasture mates to join in. The ground shook, and Harry thought for a moment they were trying to shake the pasture wall down. A few screams were echoed as everyone ran away from the fence, but Silver ran up towards them. The leader stopped and looked in her direction, it's entire body alert.  
  
"Come here," Silver encouraged.  
  
Immediately the horses began to trot towards her, the leader breaking into a canter as it neared. It stopped in front of her and lowered it's gigantic head so that she could pet it. _It's head is bigger than her entire body_, Harry groaned to himself. Hagrid was completely transfixed.  
  
"Can yer...can yer talk to them?" he asked rapturously.  
  
"Yes," she replied, smiling up at him.  
  
Hagrid went into absolute transports of delight.  
  
"So they'll let yer ride them, then!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Yes," Silver said eagerly, ignoring the pointed you're-going-to-get- yourself-killed look Harry was giving her.  
  
"Well go on, then!" Hagrid exclaimed. Grinning, Silver said something to the horse, which immediately turned sideways for her to get on.  
  
"Now wait a minute!" Harry interrupted, glaring at Hagrid, "Are you sure they're safe?"  
  
"Absolutely, Harry!" Hagrid exclaimed, "They've never done anything to me...well, maybe once or twice, but I didn't fall hard..."  
  
To Harry's dismay, Silver had already climbed up the fence and managed to jump onto the horse's back.  
  
"Don't worry, Harry," she called down to him, "I'm quite a good rider."  
  
She grabbed a handful of the horse's mane and clucked. It trotted for a few strides and then broke into a canter. Harry's heart was in his throat. Silver looked over her shoulder and the horse obediently turned in a circle the direction she was looking. As they passed, Silver leaned forward slightly, and it was all the urging the horse needed to break into a gallop. They went so fast that it hardly looked like the horse's feet were touching the ground. Silver wasn't lying, she _was_ a good rider. She looked as if she were part of the horse. Harry was halfway between being utterly transfixed by the beautiful picture and completely terrified for Silver's life. Soon the terror was beginning to get the better of him – he was beginning to think she wouldn't be able to stop the horse, but she sat back as she neared him and he heard her utter a solitary, "Whoa" and the horse stopped directly in front of him. Beaming at him, she slid off the horse's back and into his arms.  
  
"That was fun," she said breathlessly.  
  
"Don't ever do that again," he replied seriously.  
  
She laughed.  
  
"I'm serious," he told her.  
  
"If you say so," she replied, "But it was a lot of fun." She stuck her lower lip out and Harry sighed resignedly.  
  
"Maybe one day," he relented.  
  
Hagrid was watching with amusement.  
  
"Want to take a spin, Harry?" he teased.  
  
"Don't even joke about that," Harry replied.  
  
Nobody else volunteered to ride the horses, because after Silver got off of hers, it proceeded to run to it's pasture mates and get them all involved in a rather dangerous fit of bucking and rearing.  
  
"They're just having fun," Silver tried to convince everyone.  
  
Their next class was History of Magic, which was utterly boring. They entertained themselves by throwing crumpled balls of paper at each other's heads, as well as occasionally Neville's, but when he looked back around, flustered and annoyed, they would be innocently taking notes.  
  
Divination went fairly well, too. Professor Trelwaney predicted Harry's death, as usual, but then informed them that to refresh their inner eye they were going to go back to crystal ball reading. Silver and Ron had it easy – they simply predicted terrible deaths for Harry. As payback, Harry decided to make Ron die during a crash on the Knight Bus and Silver get trampled by a giant horse.  
  
Lunch went well, but as soon as the bell rang Harry felt dread in the pit of his stomach. Potions.  
  
He, Ron, and Hermione sulked as they walked to class, but Silver was particularly upbeat.  
  
"Come on, guys, you know you've been dying to visit him," she teased as they walked down into the dungeons.  
  
They walked in to a silent classroom. It was extremely dark and hard to see, but Harry could make out Snape's figure in the front of the classroom. To Harry's dismay, Silver insisted on sitting towards the front, and Harry followed reluctantly. He sat next to Silver, who looked attentively towards Snape. Once everyone had been seated, an eerie light began to flow through the two round windows at the front of the room that Harry was certain was not sunlight. Snape rapped on the board, and a few people jumped. Harry notice that Silver seemed slightly unsettled.  
  
"Welcome to N.E.W.T. Potions, sixth year," Snape said in a completely unwelcoming voice. He began to walk up and down the aisles, occasionally ramming his fist down on a desk and scaring a student.  
  
"You are all here because you have met with my satisfaction in your previous Potions class – although I think I may have let some of you in against my better judgment." His eyes rested on Harry for a moment. Harry squirmed uncomfortably.  
  
Snape went on to tell them that none of them had the finesse required for making potions, that they were all dunderheads, and that he would do his best to teach them anyhow.  
  
"Now," Snape said, as the lights became brighter, "Please follow the directions on the board."  
  
He flicked his wand and words appeared on the board for one of the most complex potions Harry had ever seen – what was worse, it wasn't labeled, which meant lots of research trying to figure out what they had made that night. He glanced at Silver to see her staring at Snape with a shocked look on her face. _Well, she couldn't expect him to be a big softie in front of everybody_, he thought to himself. Still, he felt a need to comfort her. He opened his mouth to speak when she transferred her gaze from Snape to the directions on the board. A determined spark flashed in her eye and she began to brew. Harry decided not to say anything after all, and got started on his own potion. After the classroom became talkative again, Harry's cauldron was suddenly cast into shadows. He looked up to see Malfoy standing near Silver.  
  
"_Hello_ there," he was saying in a much too friendly voice.  
  
Silver glared at him.  
  
"You know, you shouldn't believe everything Potter tells you," Malfoy said, "He just knows I'm a better kisser." He leaned closer to her and she stepped away.  
  
"Come on, baby," Malfoy whispered. He reached for her with a menacing look in his eye.  
  
Harry dug into his robes, pulled out his wand. Malfoy raised his, as well, but not before Harry bellowed, "_Expelliarmus_!" Malfoy's wand shot out of his hand and he flew back against the wall. He let out a long string of hexes, but it was no use without his wand. Malfoy got up and started towards Harry. "_Furnunculus_!" Harry said, rage bubbling up inside of him, "_Petrificus Totalus_!" Malfoy sprouted large boils all over his head and neck and then fell, rigid, facedown on the floor.  
  
"Harry," Silver whispered, looking both shocked and admiring.  
  
Harry's cauldron was cast into shadows again, and this time when he looked up, it was Snape. "Detention. With me. Six to nine. Tonight and tomorrow." Snape looked bitterly angry.  
  
Harry began to look down in defeat, but suddenly he looked back up. "Sorry, sir, I can't tonight," he replied a bit too cheerfully.  
  
Snape raised his eyebrows.  
  
"I have to go to Dumbledore's office at six tonight, sir," Harry informed him.  
  
"Well then after class, you will stay here and serve your detention then," Snape replied coolly, "You will be dismissed at five fifty."  
  
Harry nodded mutely and angrily. Snape held out his hand and Harry gave him Malfoy's wand.  
  
"Crabbe, Goyle, take young Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing," Snape spat at them, shoving Malfoy's wand into Crabbe's hand.  
  
Harry was barely able to finish his potion, and although it was supposed to be blue by the end, his was a very deep shade of green. Silver's was a light sky blue, and, although not perfect, was very good. He complimented her halfheartedly as they bottled their samples and walked to the front. They lined up, Silver just in front of him.  
  
"Miss Riddle," Snape said with no particular attachment when she came up. He took her potion, eyed it from all angles, and then uncorked it and sniffed it. "Excellent," he informed her. She beamed at him and he blinked back emotionlessly.  
  
Harry tried not to be too worried as he handed Snape his. Ever since he had taken it out of his cauldron, it had been turning steadily greener.  
  
"I think it looks more blue in the heat," he told Snape.  
  
Snape's eyes snapped up to look at him. Was there a flicker of amusement there? They both looked at Harry's potion, which was now a light grass green. Snape held it up to his small desk lamp, and under the heat from the light it began to grow steadily darker, until it was the perfect shade of blue. Harry tried to register the look in Snape's eyes. Snape set the bottle down on his desk and said, "We will discuss this during your detention, Potter." Harry nodded disappointedly and returned to sit next to Silver.  
  
"What did you get?" asked Silver, who had been watching interestedly.  
  
"He didn't say," Harry replied, "He just told me we would discuss it during detention."  
  
"Oh," she replied softly.  
  
"I am never going to finish my homework," Harry sighed.  
  
"I can help you with your History of Magic essay," she offered, "and Divination homework will be easy, you just have to think of different ways to say you're going to die."  
  
He shrugged.  
  
Snape informed them that he wanted a three foot long parchment on the potion they had just made, why and when it was used, and which ingredients were particularly rare. Silver gave Harry a sympathetic look.  
  
When the bell rang, Silver stayed with Harry until every other student had filed out of class except for Pansy Parkinson, who was deliberately packing slowly, watching Silver suspiciously. Silver stood defiantly next to Harry, determined to wait Pansy out.  
  
"Miss Riddle," Snape said impatiently, "Class is dismissed, and unless you have a reason for acting like Mr. Potter's shadow, I suggest you leave."  
  
"Fine," Silver replied indignantly, "I'll be back at five fifty, Harry."  
  
She turned on her heel and walked away, and Pansy mysteriously finished packing as well and followed her out. Harry turned to glare at Snape.  
  
"Come here, Mr. Potter," Snape said in a bored voice.  
  
Harry stalked up to his desk.  
  
"Do you have any idea what you've made here?" Snape asked curiously.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"You have succeeded in making one of the most useful potions of the century," Snape informed him, "A Muscle Relief potion. I daresay Madam Pomfrey will be very pleased."  
  
Harry looked up in surprise. Where was the bite in Snape's voice, the menace?  
  
"You are excused from tonight's homework, since it would be much too easy for you to write an essay on the potion you have just created," Snape told him, his voice emotionless, "However, I suggest you ask Miss Granger which potion you were supposed to have made, and study up on it, because there may be a pop quiz on Wednesday."  
  
Harry gaped. Snape had excused him from homework. Snape had told him he had done something useful. Snape had just told him that he was going to give a pop quiz on Wednesday. Something was very, very wrong. Snape looked up at met his eye.  
  
"Do you have any homework, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked.  
  
Harry nodded dumbly.  
  
"I suggest you get to work on it, then," Snape replied. The tone of voice he used was almost – courteous.  
  
Harry walked numbly back to his desk and took out his Divination homework and workbook.  
  
"By the way," Snape added suddenly, "Nice wandwork. Next time I would recommend something a bit more painful, though."  
  
Snape's voice wasn't pleasant or friendly, but neither was it cold or harsh. Harry gaped up at him. Snape looked at him evenly.  
  
"Well are you going to do your homework or not?" he demanded, "Because I have plenty of things that need cleaning!"  
  
Harry returned his gaze to his Divination homework, but it took him about five minutes before he could actually concentrate enough to work on it. He was surprised that the quietness of the dungeons helped him to concentrate, and the coolness seemed to keep him energized. The only sounds were that of Snape leafing through a book, and it was an oddly relaxing noise.  
  
At five o' clock Harry had successfully finished all of his homework. He looked up at Professor Snape, who was sneering at what Harry supposed was an incompetent Potions book.  
  
"Um, Professor Snape?" Harry asked.  
  
Snape looked highly annoyed at being disturbed. "Yes?" he asked, some of the usual bite in his voice.  
  
"I've finished my homework," he ventured.  
  
"Bring it here," was the bored reply.  
  
Harry brought Snape his Divination chart and his History of Magic essay. Snape looked at the Divination chart with something akin to sick amusement.  
  
"I daresay your next few weeks do not look very good, Potter," he commented.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'll die with an Outstanding in Divination," Harry replied, surprising himself with his boldness. Apparently he caught Snape's attention as well, for Snape looked over the chart at him amazingly quickly. Then he set down the Divination chart and picked up the History of Magic essay.  
  
"Re-read the third paragraph, Potter," he instructed, "It has good information, but you've used rubbish writing techniques." He thrust the parchment at Harry. "Can you tell me what you've done wrong?" he inquired.  
  
Harry read the third paragraph carefully. "I didn't put it in chronological order," he said after a few moments.  
  
"Fix it," Snape commanded.  
  
Harry pulled his wand out and used it to re-direct some of the sentences. Then he handed it back to Snape wordlessly. Snape read the full two feet of parchment before handing it back.  
  
"Put your homework away and then come back," he instructed.  
  
Harry went and stuffed his homework into his bag, wondering at the fact that Snape hadn't threatened him at all yet – in fact, Snape had _helped_ him with his homework. He walked back up to Snape's desk feeling very confused.  
  
"You will go to the library and retrieve these books for me," Snape said, thrusting a piece of paper at him.  
  
Harry nodded mutely and left the dungeons. He glanced at the paper as he walked.  
  
_I, Severus Snape, give the sixth year student Harry Potter permission to retrieve the following books from the restricted section of the library:  
  
Dangerous Brews for Witty Wizards   
Do You Want to Boil Pain?   
Occlumency: The Expert's Book of Tricks and Tips  
  
As well as the following books from the regular section of the library:  
  
Advanced Potions for Idiots   
Basic Occlumency  
  
_  
Harry arrived at the library in a sense of awe that Snape trusted him to get books from the restricted section. When he arrived, Pansy Parkinson and her group of friends looked at him interestedly. Ignoring them, he got the two books from the regular section, and then went to the librarian, Madam Pince.  
  
"Um, Professor Snape gave me this note to get books from the Restricted Section," he said, interrupting a conversation she was having with Professor McGonagall.  
  
Both women looked at him as if he were crazy. Madam Pince grabbed the note from him and held it up to the light.  
  
"It certainly _looks_ like his writing, Minerva," she commented.  
  
Professor McGonagall snatched the piece of paper and did the exact same thing, pushing her glasses into various positions as she did so. Then she looked down at Harry sternly.  
  
"Professor _Snape_ gave you this?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"Yes, ma'm," Harry replied politely.  
  
"Very well then," she said in a voice that clearly said she didn't believe him.  
  
Harry retrieved the books from the Restricted Section, knowing that he was being watched like a hawk the whole time, and then headed back towards the dungeons. He heard footsteps behind him and knew he was being followed. He didn't feel like being questioned, and sprinted the rest of the way to Snape's classroom, arriving terribly out of breath.  
  
Snape looked up at him with his usual sneer.  
  
"Trying to get in shape, Potter?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah..." Harry panted, "For...Quidditch...gotta be...fit."  
  
Snape gave him an amused look before taking the books from him and looking at them carefully.  
  
"Well, you've managed to get the right books," he said.  
  
Harry was still gasping for breath. Snape shoved the two books from the regular section of the library into his hands.  
  
"These are for you," he informed him, "Get started."  
  
Harry glanced down at them. He was staring at a green and gold book entitled _Advanced Potions for Idiots_.  
  
"Why would an idiot be in Advanced Potions?" he grumbled.  
  
"You tell me," Snape replied, smirking.  
  
Harry glared at him and looked at the other book: _Basic Occlumency_.  
  
"What does this one do? Try to invade your mind as you read it?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
"No, Potter, it gives you helpful hints on the subject," Snape replied, sounding annoyed.  
  
Harry sat down, attempting to deny that he desperately needed both of the books. Finally he admitted it to himself and looked up at Snape. Snape was staring back at him.  
  
"Which one should I read first?" he asked resignedly.  
  
"I would suggest Occlumency," Snape replied, "It may help you in your session with Dumbledore."  
  
Harry opened the book to the first chapter, _How Occlumency Works_.  
  
"And, Potter...when you've finished with that let me know."  
  
Harry nodded and continued reading. He heard Snape opening up a book and glanced up to see which one it was. It was _Occlumency: The Expert's Book of Tricks and Tips_. Harry returned to his book, marveling at the fact that he and Snape hadn't yet had a yelling match.  
  
He was on the third chapter when he heard the door swing open. He glanced behind him to see Silver.  
  
"Hi, Harry," she said, beaming.  
  
"Hi," he replied.  
  
For a moment he thought she was going to come sit with him, then she saw that she was walking toward Snape.  
  
"It's five forty-five," Snape commented.  
  
"I know," she replied. She walked up and threw her arms around him by way of greeting. He looked vaguely uncomfortable.  
  
Silver stood up and looked down at him. Snape looked back up at her, but didn't say anything.  
  
"I missed you," she informed him.  
  
"Rubbish," he replied.  
  
"I did!" she insisted, "I haven't seen you since yesterday morning!"  
  
Snape looked skeptical.  
  
"Did you miss me?" she asked.  
  
Snape looked up at her, and Harry knew he was wondering if she wanted him to answer that question truthfully. She gazed down at him with her innocent brown eyes and Snape looked resigned.  
  
"Yes," he sighed.  
  
She threw her arms around him again, and this time he hugged her back a little. Harry tried very hard not to grin at Snape's obvious pleasure in having her miss him so openly. He didn't succeed, and Snape gave him a threatening glare. When Silver pulled away she was smiling brightly at him. Snape didn't look as if he wholeheartedly approved of such a bright smile, but he couldn't help but give her a smile in return.  
  
"Alright, off with you now," he said halfheartedly.  
  
"Can I come back?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"Yes," he replied, trying to hide his anticipation.  
  
She beamed at him, and then turned to Harry. "Come on," she said brightly.  
  
He gathered up his things and walked with her to the door, where she turned to him.  
  
"Well?" she demanded, "Aren't you going to say goodbye to each other? You won't see each other until Wednesday."  
  
_Which is still too soon_, Harry thought, as he turned to Snape and mumbled, "Bye."  
  
"Bye." Snape replied just as sullenly.  
  
Smiling, Silver led him out and they began walking toward Dumbledore's office. Harry told her about the strange detention as they went.  
  
"See?" she said, "He's not as much of a git, is he?"  
  
Harry smiled. "Not today," he relented.  
  
"Sugar Quill," Silver announced brightly to the gargoyle as they arrived in front of Dumbledore's office.  
  
Harry suddenly wondered how he knew her way around so well. "How do you know where his office is? And all the classrooms!" he added, remembering how she had led the way to many of them.  
  
She leaned close to him as they climbed up the stairs and whispered, "This is where they hid me."  
  
Realization dawned in Harry's eyes. "Oh," he said, "But how did everyone Apparate here – you can't do that inside of Hogwarts."  
  
"They Apparated to Hogsmeade and came here from the Shrieking Shack," she replied.  
  
"Oh," Harry said again.  
  
They reached the door to Dumbledore's office and before they could reach for the knob, it opened.  
  
"Come in, Harry, Silver," Dumbledore invited. They obediently walked in.  
  
Dumbledore addressed Silver first. "Ah, Miss Riddle," he said, "You look lovely today." Silver blushed. "How has your first day gone?" he asked courteously.  
  
"Very well," she replied sincerely, "I love it here."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "I suspected you would," he said.  
  
For a moment there was silence, and then he added, "Thank you for bringing Mr. Potter here. You may come back to get him at nine, if you wish."  
  
Harry inwardly groaned. Three hours of Occlumency? He tried to remember some of the pointers he had read in his book.  
  
Silver nodded and disappeared out the door with a smile and a "See you soon," to Harry.  
  
Dumbledore then turned to him. "Sit, Harry," he invited, gesturing to two fluffy armchairs that sat facing each other in front of his desk.  
  
Hesitantly Harry sat down. Was Dumbledore trying to save him the pain of falling?  
  
"Now, Harry, as I'm sure Severus has told you, it is best to clear your mind before practicing Occlumency. Now, one of the best ways to gain a clear mind is to talk to somebody. Therefore, Harry, I would like to ask you if there is anything you would like to tell me before we begin?"  
  
Memories of Lupin's letter, Malfoy hitting on Silver, Silver's odd attitude about her Sorting, and Snape's interesting behavior hit Harry in waves.  
  
"No, Professor, there's no-"he began, but then he stopped. "Well, maybe there are a few things," he admitted. He proceeded to spill his guts to Dumbledore.  
  
Dumbledore listened intently, but only offered his advice on the subject of Lupin and Snape.  
  
"Well, Harry," Dumbledore said, "You are right in thinking that Lupin will be lonely at headquarters by himself. But really, he is going to be quite occupied, and it seems that he already has planned to spend company with others for a good portion of his week. I think you will find that Lupin does not get frustrated as easily as Sirius did, nor is he actually confined to the house. He can get up and leave whenever the urge strikes him."  
  
Harry found that Dumbledore was right – he had been worrying about Lupin for no reason.  
  
"And Harry, I would advise you to keep your cool around _Professor_ Snape," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye as he reminded Harry of Snape's proper title. "The young lady whom you cherish also means much to him. I think you should have realized by now that she is healing him. Already the changes she has made in his heart are becoming evident to you."  
  
Harry nodded. "Alright," he said, and then, "I think I'm ready."  
  
"Good, good," Dumbledore agreed, standing up. "Over here, if you please, Harry."  
  
Harry went a distance away from the chairs to a section of the floor that had been emptied.  
  
"Now," Dumbledore said, "Although you have already been introduced to Occlumency, let me go over it with you. It is not the power to read minds, but the power to extract memories, and, in Voldemort's case, get valuable memories. When you are a talented Occlumens, such as Professor Snape, you will be able to lie in Voldemort's presence without him detecting it. You can also protect your own memories, something that will come in very useful."  
  
Suddenly Harry interrupted him. "Professor Dumbledore, I had a dream last night!" he exclaimed, wondering how he could have forgotten. He proceeded to tell Dumbledore about his dream.  
  
"I suspect you didn't clear your mind before going to bed?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"No," Harry admitted.  
  
"Well, take care that you do it tonight," Dumbledore replied, giving Harry no explanation for his dream whatsoever.  
  
Before Harry could ask, though, Dumbledore announced, "On the count of three, then!"  
  
Harry fought to clear his mind. What was Dumbledore not saying, and why?  
  
"One..."  
  
Dumbledore should have at least told him about his own dream!  
  
"Two..."  
  
Harry pushed it out of his mind and began to think desperately for a curse that would get Dumbledore out of his mind.  
  
"Three. _Legilimens_!"  
  
Harry was reading a letter from the Ministry of Magic telling him he had been expelled from Hogwarts for using the Patronus charm...He was sitting in court, wondering why Dumbledore wasn't looking at him...he was watching blood ooze from his hand as he engraved the words, "I must not tell lies" onto his own hand...and then, he was in the Mysteries department of the Ministry of Magic, watching as Sirius battled with Bellatrix Lestrange. "Is that the best you can do?" Sirius asked his cousin gleefully. Then, a beam hit him square on the chest. He was falling into the veil...  
  
"SIRIUS!" Harry bellowed as he felt himself fall to the floor, "NO! SAVE HIM! RESCUE HIM!"  
  
Harry felt a fresh wave of grief wash over him. Tears stung at his eyes as he thought of the last few moments of his godfather's life.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore was saying, much too calmly, "Harry!"  
  
Harry looked up, his eyes stinging with tears. He could only make out Dumbledore's figure through the blur. They spilled from his eyes, embarrassing him, but he could not make them stop. Dumbledore helped him into a fluffy armchair and he managed to stifle the tears spilling down his cheeks. He wiped them away, annoyed at himself for getting so emotional. When he looked at Dumbledore, Dumbledore was studying him intently. Harry's mind began to spin. Why was he sitting in an armchair? Sirius would never have accepted defeat so easily!  
  
Harry jumped up. "I want to try again," he said fiercely.  
  
"Are you sure?" was Dumbledore's calm reply.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Dumbledore stood up and walked with him to where they had been before. "On three, then."  
  
"One..."  
  
Harry imagined a windshield wiper wiping all the thoughts from his mind.  
  
"Two..."  
  
He thought of a huge, blank space.  
  
"Three. _Legilimens_."  
  
This time his mind jumped straight to Sirius. Again, he heard his godfather's voice. "Is that the best you can do?" Harry watched as he got hit with the beam, right in the chest, and fell backwards. Dumbledore's figure was present just beyond the scene. _Get to Dumbledore_, he told himself, _Dumbledore_. Dumbledore was becoming clearer and clearer, until he looked at Sirius' face as he fell. Immediately Dumbledore disappeared.  
  
"Sirius," Harry gasped, trying to keep himself from falling. He fell to his knees, hard.  
  
"That was much better!" Dumbledore said rather cheerfully.  
  
Harry glared up at him. How dare he sound happy when he had just witnessed his godfather's death – twice.  
  
"I must admit, Harry, I did not think in advance," Dumbledore announced, "I had forgotten that, due to recent events, your reaction to Occlumency is bound to be much stronger. That particular memory has the power to destroy you."  
  
The way Dumbledore said it did not make Harry feel safe at all.  
  
"Next time, we will use the Penseive, I think," Dumbledore added.  
  
Harry felt weak and sick to his stomach.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore asked, "Would you mind doing me another favor? Please go inform Professor Snape that I wish to meet him in my office in thirty minutes."  
  
Harry nodded, although going back into the dungeons wasn't what he felt like doing.  
  
"Very well, Harry, next Wednesday please come back at the same time for a more thought-out lesson in Occlumency," Dumbledore said cheerfully.  
  
Harry nodded, feeling that talking would only allow him to throw up. He left Dumbledore's room without so much as a goodbye, and when he finally arrived outside the door to Snape's dungeon, he leaned against the cool wall, taking deep breaths and trying not to let dizziness take over him. He almost went in when he remembered that Silver had come back to talk to Snape. Not wanting to interrupt anything private, he knocked.  
  
After a few seconds, Snape's voice came. "Come in."  
  
He obeyed. Silver was standing by Snape's chair, and they were both looking at him as if he had dropped off of another planet.  
  
"Harry!" she exclaimed, "What happened? Why aren't you with Dumbledore?"  
  
"He let me go early," Harry said, grabbing on to a desk as another, stronger wave of nausea swept over him and the room became fuzzy.  
  
Silver hurried over to him but he held his hand out, not wanting to throw up all over her. He dashed to a trash can in the corner of the room and wretched into it. He was rather surprised that he made it, seeing as he could hardly see a thing. Snape disappeared into his private storage room. Harry felt as if he were going to be sick again, and hovered over the trash can, waiting. Snape reappeared with a small vial of purple potion that glowed in the otherwise blurred room. Harry looked at him distrustfully as he held it out.  
  
"Just drink it, Potter," Snape said, his eyes flashing with impatience.  
  
Harry was surprised to find that it tasted rather good. It was like icy cold fruit juice. As he sipped, he felt the dizziness and nausea slipping away. His vision became clearer and he felt more focused. He emptied the vial and looked around, surprised at the difference it made with his vision.  
  
"Thanks," he said, appreciating the fact that Snape was a Potions master for the first time.  
  
"Just don't throw up in my classroom anymore," was Snape's sour response. Silver threw him a reproachful glance.  
  
"What happened, Harry?" she asked concernedly.  
  
"My memory of Sirius dying was too powerful," he said. The words "Sirius" and "dying" made him dry mouthed. He made his way to a seat in the back of the class and sat down.  
  
"Oh, Harry," she said, her voice full of emotion. She made as if to hug him, but Snape held her back.  
  
"Not so soon after he drank the potion," he said, "He'll just start to feel sick again if you squeeze him to death."  
  
Silver gazed at Snape amusedly, but replied with "Okay."  
  
"Dumbledore wants to see you in half an hour," Harry told Snape.  
  
"All right," Snape replied, glancing at the clock, "You should stay here until then, Potter – if you try to go up to your room you'll be sick again."  
  
"Why did it make me sick?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, the memory makes you feel sick in the first place, correct?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"It was that combined with the fact that you were fighting a mental invasion. How many times did you see it?"  
  
"Twice," Harry answered.  
  
Snape's eyes were full of disapproval.  
  
"Dumbledore never should have let you see that twice," he said.  
  
"I forced him to," Harry answered, "I wanted to be strong...like Sirius." His last two words were barely a whisper.  
  
"Foolish Gryffindor pride," Snape snapped.  
  
Silver gave him a warning look and he stopped and sat down in the seat across from Harry. Silver sat down in the seat in front of him, reaching over and rubbing his shoulder gently.  
  
"You've just had a rough day," she said softly.  
  
Harry pushed his hands through his messy black hair, feeling that the term "rough day" was an understatement.  
  
"I bet you didn't use a single tip from the book," Snape accused, "Am I right?"  
  
Harry nodded tiredly.  
  
"Read it, Potter. It helped me in the same situation it needs to help you."  
  
Harry looked up at Snape and realized for the first time that he was right. Snape had to lie to Voldemort's face on a regular basis.  
  
"Why are you helping me?" Harry croaked.  
  
"Because I want to," Snape answered, and Harry didn't push the matter.  
  
He pressed his forehead against the desk, feeling its coldness sweep through him, and the world drifted away, leaving him alone in a world of darkness.


	10. Trust & New Responsibilities

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, and so on.

**----------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 10 – Trust & New Responsibilities**  
  
Harry gazed at Silver from across the table as the foursome ate lunch. She was talking to Ron about something...tossing her hair back and laughing, her eyes dancing. He felt a bit jealous that he wasn't the one sitting next to her, making her laugh.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, sounding annoyed.  
  
"Huh?" he answered blankly, turning to look at her.  
  
Hermione looked from him to Silver and back to him again.  
  
"For heaven's sake, will you try and concentrate on what I'm trying to tell you for one minute! She's not going anywhere, you know!"  
  
Silver glanced over, having heard Hermione's comment, and she smiled and winked at Harry. He grinned at her, but quickly returned his attention to a very exasperated Hermione.  
  
"I'm listening," he assured her, looking into her eyes to prove that he was.  
  
"Finally," she muttered, shaking her head. "So anyway..."  
  
Harry didn't hear a word she said, because at that moment Neville came running into the Great Hall, from what it looked like he kept saying, "I'm late! I'm late!" He continued to push past people at a dead run, just as Silver stood up from her seat, saying, "I'll be right back". She turned, and gave a small shriek as Neville nearly collided with her. To prevent that from happening, however, Neville grabbed Dean's neck and slid spectacularly past Silver as Dean choked and fell backwards onto the floor.  
  
"S...sorry," Neville apologized profusely to both Silver and Dean.  
  
Dean was clutching his neck as he lay on the floor, moaning, and Neville was sitting up and wincing. Silver still looked a bit shocked at the whole event. Soon the whole Gryffindor table was doubled over with laughter, and the other tables were looking to see what had happened.  
  
"My neck," Dean mourned, rubbing it and glaring at Neville.  
  
"Sorry, I'm really sorry," Neville repeated, gazing fearfully up at Silver.  
  
"It's alright, Neville," she assured him, helping him up and then Dean, "Just don't go running around like that again."  
  
Dean seemed to have instantly healed when he took her hand for her to help him up, and Neville started stuttering worse than ever as well as blushing profusely.  
  
Silver looked down at Ron, looking confused. "Now what was I going to go do?" she asked him.  
  
Ron shrugged. "I dunno, you may as well just stay here," he replied.  
  
Frowning, Silver sat back down.  
  
The bell rang, and they headed for Defense Against the Dark Arts. On Tuesday class had been a disaster, because Tonks had tripped over Seamus' bag as she walked down the aisles and set off his box of Fred & George's spectacular but hard to get rid of fireworks. Therefore; other than her introductory speech, which she seemed to have worked very hard on, the class was spent getting rid of them.  
  
They entered her classroom with smiles and sat down in the front. She gave them a thankful smile. Once everyone had sat down, Tonks began, although she looked a bit apprehensive.  
  
"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts, everyone," she said, beaming, "I'm sorry about last class, I – well, it's over with now..."  
  
She trailed off and seemed to search very hard for her train of thought before beginning again.  
  
"Oh, right! One of the things we will be concentrating the most on in here is concealment. This is the ability to blend in with your surroundings, and it can save your life in tough situations. Yes, Dean?"  
  
Dean was waving his hand in the air wildly.  
  
"Are you really a Metamorphmagus?" he asked excitedly.  
  
"Well, yes," she said, looking as if this was not where she had wanted the conversation to go.  
  
"Can you make your hair pink?" Lavender squealed excitedly.  
  
"Um, sure," Tonks agreed, as her hair changed from curly and blonde to pink and long."  
  
"Ooh!" Parvati exclaimed.  
  
Tonks looked dismayed, and Harry raised his hand, determined to get the class back on track.  
  
"Harry?" she asked timidly.  
  
"How are we going to be studying concealment?" he asked, "Don't you have to use Disillusionment Charms and stuff for that?"  
  
She beamed at him. "Yes, exactly, in fact, we're going to know how to do those by the end of term!"  
  
Immediately the class became interested in concealment.  
  
Tonks began by showing them how to change their appearance. Unfortunately, the spell she showed them was one to make their hair color black, so it was no use to Harry, and it didn't make much difference with Silver.  
  
"Sorry, Harry," she apologized as she fixed Ron's hair, which he had somehow turned green, "We'll be doing blonde next, though!"  
  
"Great," Harry murmured, although not loud enough for her to hear.  
  
Silver giggled.  
  
After class they went out by the lake and began throwing a crumpled ball of paper around at each other, but Ron accidentally threw it a bit too far and it hit Professor Flitwick on the head as he passed, putting an end to the game. Then they went to the library and finished their homework together, getting in trouble numerous times for talking too loud. Finally, it was dinnertime.  
  
"I'm starved," Ron complained, "And, according to my Divination homework, I'd better hurry and eat because I won't get a chance tomorrow morning – I'm going to trip and crack my head open on my way to breakfast, landing me in St. Mungo's for a year."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, but Silver and Harry burst out laughing.  
  
"Tomorrow I'm finding unexpected treasure," Silver said smugly. Professor Trewalney had taken a liking to Silver, and often predicted small pleasantries in her future.  
  
"Too right you are," Ron smirked.  
  
"Harry," someone demanded.  
  
Harry looked behind him to see Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Um, yeah?" he asked, trying to swallow his food before he talked.  
  
"When you're done with dinner, I'd like to see you in my office," she announced.  
  
"Oh," he replied.  
  
She turned and walked away, and Harry turned back to his friends desperately trying to remember if he had done anything wrong in her class. He thought he had transformed his cat into a very acceptable music box, although it might have given off a faint meowing sound along with the music.  
  
"I put designs on my box and everything," he said disappointedly, "I wonder what I did wrong."  
  
"I don't know, mate," Ron said, "I thought it was great – mine still had claws at each corner."  
  
"Don't be silly, you two," Hermione said in a bossy voice, "That's not why Harry's getting called in there."  
  
"Why then?" Ron asked, puzzled.  
  
"Oh, honesty, you two," Silver said, "Isn't it obvious?"  
  
"No, but please fill us in," Harry replied.  
  
"No, I think you should find out for yourself, Harry," Hermione replied, although she sounded disappointed that he hadn't figured it out.  
  
Harry frowned and finished his dinner in a hurry.  
  
"See you guys in the common room," he said, heading for Professor McGonagalls' office.  
  
He knocked lightly on the door, and she replied with, "Come in, Potter."  
  
He obediently went in and sat where directed.  
  
"Now, Harry," Professor McGonagall said, "I daresay you know why you are here."  
  
Harry responded with a blank look.  
  
"Oh really now, you have _no_ idea?" she asked disbelievingly.  
  
"Not really," Harry answered, feeling embarrassed.  
  
She sighed, but looked vaguely amused.  
  
"Harry, you are this year's Quidditch captain," she replied.  
  
"I'm _what_?" he asked, jumping up.  
  
"Yes, it's all very well," Professor McGonagall said, "I would have told you sooner, but I have no time. The only days you have to run tryouts are either next Wednesday or next Friday."  
  
Harry almost yelled out "Wednesday!" but figured he would be cutting it close with his Occlumency lesson – and he certainly didn't want to be tired while trying to fight an invasion on his mind.  
  
"Friday," he replied reluctantly, "I have Occlumency Wednesday."  
  
"Very well then, Harry, you will be holding tryouts next Friday from four to six," she replied, scribbling a note down in a worn blue planner, "Can you remember that?"  
  
"Yep," Harry replied confidently, not knowing how he could possibly forget it.  
  
"Okay then, off you go," she said.  
  
Harry walked out of her classroom and then broke into a run. He wondered if Hermione and Silver had really known why he was going to her office. He turned a corner and collided with something very solid. He staggered backwards, but didn't fall, and looked up into the eyes of an angry looking Professor Snape.  
  
"Watch where you're going, Potter!" he snapped.  
  
"Sorry," he mumbled.  
  
"How many points should it be from Gryffindor?" Snape mused.  
  
"None, sir," Harry supplied, "Because it wont happen again."  
  
Snape looked at him with a mixture of loathing and amusement. He looked around as if checking for witnesses.  
  
"Very well, but mind you keep your eyes open from now on," he said.  
  
"Yes, sir," Harry replied. He walked quickly around the next corner and broke into a run again, knowing full well that Snape could still hear his footsteps.  
  
"Rubies," he panted to the portrait. The Fat Lady gave him a once over and apparently decided she didn't want to know as she swung open.  
  
Harry dived through the portrait hole and announced loudly to the whole room, "I'm Quidditch captain!"  
  
He was overtaken by a sea of cheering people, but finally made it to Hermione, Silver, and a shocked looking Ron.  
  
"You knew, Hermione?" he kept saying, "You knew, and you didn't tell me?"  
  
Hermione just grinned. Then she turned to Silver.  
  
"Do you play Quidditch?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, a bit," she replied, "I'm thinking of trying out for the team."  
  
"What's your position?" Ron asked.  
  
"Wait and find out," she replied with a smile.  
  
"When are tryouts, Harry?" Ron asked.  
  
"Next Friday, four to six," Harry recited.  
  
"Aww, that's way too long. Come on, Silver, just tell me!" he begged.  
  
"Nope, wait and see," was her reply.  
  
Hermione giggled.  
  
"Good, teach him patience," she told Silver.  
  
Ron complained about not knowing the whole way to bed, and a few minutes afterwards.  
  
Harry fell asleep with a smile on his face, gold Snitches invading his thoughts.

---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next day Harry was fully appreciative of the fact that they got Friday afternoons off.  
  
After Charms, they had the weekend to themselves. He and Silver walked out of the class and turned to wait for Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Where'd they go?" Silver asked, peeking in and confirming that they were not there.  
  
"I dunno," Harry replied, looking around for a sign of them.  
  
"Maybe they went to the library," she suggested.  
  
At his look, she added, "It's the sort of place Hermione would drag Ron to."  
  
They searched the library, but no Ron and Hermione. They also searched the common room, the Quidditch field, Hagrid's hut, and the Great Hall, but to no avail.  
  
"Where could they be?" Silver asked, sounding a bit frustrated.  
  
"I don't know," Harry replied truthfully. They were standing in the Great Hall, very confused.  
  
"Oh well," Silver said, "I guess they had something important to do."  
  
"I guess," Harry agreed, "So what do you want to do now?"  
  
"Go to the common room, I suppose," Silver replied.  
  
They walked to the common room together, and when they entered, it was nearly empty. A group of first years sat studying in a corner, and Harry heard one of them complaining about Hover Charms.  
  
They chose a couch by the fire, and Silver looked intently into the flames as Harry looked intently at her. She turned to him and smiled.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"You're beautiful," he replied truthfully.  
  
"Is that the only reason you like me?" she inquired.  
  
"I didn't say you were only beautiful on the outside," he answered.  
  
She smiled at him, and he leaned closer to her. She closed her eyes, but at that moment they heard Hermione's voice echoing through the portrait hole.  
  
"They do too!"  
  
"They do not!" Ron answered angrily.  
  
Harry glared at them, not really caring what they were arguing about. Why couldn't they have waited just a few minutes more before barging in like that?  
  
Ron looked angry, and his face was red from trying to hold his temper in.  
  
"Where were you?" Harry asked, not able to bring his voice to a completely civil tone.  
  
"We told you we were going to the kitchens," Hermione replied, "Did you know that Dobby took all of the hats and scarves I made last year?"  
  
"She scared the poor thing to death!" Ron exclaimed, "Told him they were for all the elves, and when he explained that they didn't want them, she went ballistic and started raging up a storm until they kicked us out!"  
  
"They want to be free, they just don't know it!" Hermione said.  
  
"THEY DO NOT!" Ron roared.  
  
Hermione made an impatient noise, and then turned on her heel and stomped up the stairs to the girl's dormitories.  
  
Ron sat down angrily next to Harry and Silver.  
  
"_Why_ won't she admit that I'm right?" he asked furiously, "Why can't she just accept it?"  
  
"It can be hard for people to accept things they don't want to hear," Silver said wisely, "If I were you, I would break it to her a bit more – gently."  
  
Ron looked up at her.  
  
"You know," she prompted, "With a bit more – compassion...consideration...love..."  
  
"Love?" Ron echoed, "What do you want me to do, kiss her first and then tell her?"  
  
"It might work," Silver replied.  
  
Ron looked at her in surprise for a moment before stammering. "Well...I was joking...totally missed the point...kiss her, the idea..."  
  
Still stammering, he walked off in the direction of the boy's dorms.  
  
Silver sighed. "He should just kiss her and be done with it, you know."  
  
Harry couldn't help but agree.  
  
"I think he's afraid she still likes Krum," he answered, "She's still writing to him, you know."  
  
Silver snorted. "She'd give him up in a second for Ron. He really needs to just pluck up some courage and tell her how he feels."  
  
"So Hermione fancies Ron?" Harry asked, surprised.  
  
"Well, she never stops talking about him," Silver said, and then, in a high- pitched falsetto, "_Ron_ says...I don't think _Ron_ would like...That would look nice on _Ron_...Try telling that to _Ron_."  
  
Harry laughed. "Ron would go nuts. He won't admit it, but he fancies her."  
  
Silver smiled, and began to gaze into the fire again, looking preoccupied.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, "You've been like this the whole week."  
  
"Like what?" she asked, surprised.  
  
"You'll be talking, and then you'll get this look in your eyes, and you'll...drift off somewhere," Harry finished lamely.  
  
"I don't know," she said, "It just all seems too good to be true. I don't think this will all last much longer."  
  
"All what?" Harry asked, trying to understand.  
  
"Being safe," she replied in a small voice, "I've never been safe for so long. I've never _felt_ safe for so long."  
  
"Nobody's going to take you away," Harry said.  
  
"You don't know my mother," she answered.  
  
"Who _is_ your mother?" Harry asked.  
  
She looked up at him, her eyes bright, and then back at the fire. Minutes passed, and she didn't answer.  
  
"You don't want to tell me?" Harry asked.  
  
"Harry, I can't," she said quietly, "You wouldn't understand."  
  
"What is there to understand?" he answered, feeling a twinge of anger, "I just want to know her name."  
  
"No," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Why not? I thought you said you trusted me," Harry prodded.  
  
She looked up at him and he knew what he said was a mistake. She burst into tears.  
  
"I _do_ trust you, Harry, I _do_," she sobbed.  
  
He reached out and pulled her to him.  
  
"I know," he comforted, "I never should have said that. I'm sorry."  
  
She didn't stop crying, but she clung to him and he knew that he was forgiven. He felt a lump rise in his throat. He felt like a total jerk. He had tested her trust, something he never should have done – but now he knew. She trusted him enough to let him hurt her, and still trust him just as much afterwards.  
  
"I do trust you," she sobbed.  
  
"I know," he said quietly, "I'm really sorry. You don't have to tell me, I shouldn't have asked."  
  
Her sobs quieted after a few minutes. Harry had a feeling there was a lot more going on than just her concerns about her mother, but he didn't ask, because he didn't want to push her any further. Long minutes passed, and she didn't pull away. Harry stroked her hair a bit awkwardly, but he had a feeling it was what he was supposed to do.  
  
Finally, she sat back, gazing up at him with pinkish eyes. She was still beautiful.  
  
"You should get to bed," he informed her, sensing how tired she was.  
  
"Thanks, Harry," she said, hugging him.  
  
"Night," he replied.  
  
"Night," she murmured as she headed up the stairs.  
  
Harry wished she weren't so complicated – he would have liked to know who her mother was. He sank into bed and had to force himself to stay awake for a few minutes, until he felt his mind was safely cleared. He sank into a dreamless and satisfying sleep.


	11. Unhealed Scars

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect...although may I compliment myself on my own character, Silver Riddle. :)

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 11 – Unhealed Scars**  
  
Harry, Silver, Ron, and Hermione had scarfed down their lunch and were in the library finishing the Potions essay they had forgotten to do. It was the Wednesday after Quidditch tryouts, and Ron still had not gotten over Silver's secret.  
  
"Can't believe you didn't tell us," he muttered as he worked.  
  
Silver smiled. She had turned out to be the best Beater Harry had ever seen. She had a Nimbus Two Thousand and One, but she made it perform almost as well as Harry's Firebolt. She had offered to coach the other Beater during practice, because Harry had a feeling that if she succeeded, they would have one of the best teams in history. Ron was Keeper again, and their three other players (Chasers) were the seventh year Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, and Angelina Johnson, who had previously been captain of the team, but given up the position due to the workload of the seventh years.  
  
The bell rang, causing the smile to be wiped from each of their faces except Silver's.  
  
"Come on guys, it's not so bad," she said as they walked towards the dungeons.  
  
"It is too," Ron replied, "Snape's a git."  
  
"Is not!" was Silver's reply.  
  
"Is too."   
"Is not."   
"Is too."   
"Is not"  
  
Ron grumbled "Is, too" under his breath, but not loud enough so that Silver could hear. Harry and Hermione exchanged grins. Silver still stuck firmly in saying that Snape was not a git, no matter what "evidence" Ron gave her that he was.  
  
They walked into Potions and took their seats at the back – after the first lesson, Silver had decided that the back was, after all, a very good place to sit, especially since Malfoy usually sat in the front. As usual, Harry sat beside her. They took out their homework from the previous lesson and set it on top of their desks. Snape glared his approval, although he couldn't quite manage to give them a rightful sneer when he looked at Silver's smiling face.  
  
They looked at the board and were disappointed to see that Snape was not easing up on their workload. It was complex potion after complex potion (this time it was a multiplying potion), although Harry had actually gotten an "E" the last time he turned one in – he felt he deserved an "O", but he figured Snape always gave him one grade down. About fifteen minutes into the class, a small explosion came from Crabbe's cauldron. Snape strode over quickly to look at Crabbe's burnt face.  
  
"Five points to Slytherin for giving an example of how not to add your lacewings," he announced.  
  
Ron snorted, and Snape instantly turned to glare at him with an "if-you- don't-shut-up-I'll-deduct-points" look.  
  
Silver gave a small but audible, "Hmph!" which Snape chose to ignore.  
  
Crabbe left to go see Madam Pomfrey, and they continued to make their potions. Suddenly Harry's potion turned a sickening shade of yellow, while it was supposed to be dark red. Silver looked over and groaned.  
  
"_Harry_!" she complained.  
  
"Sorry," he said innocently.  
  
"Switch," she mumbled, "I'm on line six, and don't mess it up!"  
  
She and Harry switched cauldrons, and he very carefully finished her potion (he only had to do two more lines, one which only involved stirring), as she nursed his back to an even shade of red.  
  
"Best I can do," she apologized, "Now keep it going."  
  
Harry groaned. He was only on line two. How could she make such a complicated potion so fast? Suddenly she gasped and clasped her hands to her mouth.  
  
"Harry," she whispered urgently, "I just remembered, I'm supposed to do something! Professor McGonagall trusted me _specially_ to do it!"  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"I had to go and deliver a letter for her at lunch. Oh, Harry, I have to go!"   
"_Now_? Are you crazy?"   
"_Please_ cover for me!"  
  
Harry looked into her deep brown eyes and then up at Snape. He was very engrossed in one of the books Harry had checked out of the Restricted Section for him a week before.  
  
"Okay, just hurry up – he might not even notice," he said, although he felt queasy thinking of what might happen if he did.  
  
"Thank you, Harry, you're the best!" she exclaimed, moving swiftly for the door.  
  
He watched as she opened the handle with painstaking precision and slid out the door, leaving it open the tiniest crack. Snape didn't notice a thing. Harry was on the second to last line of his potion, and it was growing steadily darker, to his delight, when suddenly Snape's voice cut across the room.  
  
"Potter!"  
  
Harry jumped and accidentally dropped a full container of dragon's claw clippings into his Potion. It returned to its former yellow state.  
  
"Yes, Professor Snape?" he asked politely.  
  
"_Where_ is Miss Riddle?"  
  
Harry considered for a moment looking beside him and gasping, saying, "She's not here!" He knew, however, that he was very bad at acting, and so went with his next worst talent, lying.  
  
"She thought she was going to be sick and ran to Madam Pomfrey's," he lied. When Snape looked disbelieving, he added, "She knows how you don't like people throwing up in your room," as innocently as he could.  
  
Snape looked as if he didn't know whether to believe him or not.  
  
"And why didn't I hear her leave?" he asked.  
  
"She didn't want to disrupt the class!" Harry exclaimed, as if it were unthinkable.  
  
He heard Ron snigger from beside him, but stop with an "Ouch!" when Hermione punched him in the arm.  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Your potion is yellow, Potter," he informed him.  
  
"Is it?" Harry asked with great mock surprise, "I'd better get to work, then!"  
  
"Ten points from Gryffindor," Snape replied, without saying why.  
  
Harry looked up as if he were shocked Snape would do such a thing.  
  
"Don't make it twenty," Snape advised, and Harry dropped the sarcastic attitude.  
  
Suddenly the door opened. Snape's eyes shot toward the door at the same time as Harry's.  
  
"Where were you, Miss Riddle?" Snape demanded.  
  
"I was just at the bath – Madam Pomfrey's," she replied as she saw Harry waving his arms and mouthing, "Nurse! Nurse!" behind Snape. Snape turned to look at Harry, who had his hands raised in the air. Harry immediately turned it into an indignant gesture.  
  
"See?" he asked, throwing his hands into the air with more exaggeration, "Nobody believes me!" He gave his arms one final toss above his head and returned them to his side, knowing that Snape was about to deduct a hundred points from Gryffindor. He heard stifled laughs coming from his classmates. Ron looked as if his ribs were about to break. He dared to meet Snape's eye and saw amusement there, along with the usual loathing.  
  
"Ten more points from Gryffindor and detention for you and Miss Riddle after class," he replied, "And you're running out of time, I really suggest you get to work on that potion."  
  
"Ten _more_?" Silver groaned as she took her place beside Harry.  
  
"Sorry," Harry replied, "I'm a bad liar."  
  
"_What_ did you do to your potion?" she hissed.  
  
"I dropped a plastic container of dragon's claw clippings in it," he replied helpfully, standing aside as she began tending to it.  
  
"_Harry_," she groaned, "For all we know this could be _poisonous_."  
  
"I do have a flair, you know," he told her, "I'm positive everybody in this room could try and not get it that fluorescent."  
  
After a few minutes, his potion was a bright red, which was more than he had expected. Silver insisted on being allowed to keep working with it, though, and soon had it a very admirable shade that was close to the perfected color.  
  
"Just hope he doesn't test it," she told him as she bottled her own sample, "And don't touch it when you bottle it!"  
  
"Comforting," Harry said pleasantly, "And what if he asks me to drink it?"  
  
"Leave me your Firebolt," she replied.  
  
He laughed, causing Snape to look up and sneer at him. Harry was surprised he didn't take fifty points from Gryffindor on the spot – he certainly looked as if he wanted to.  
  
He and Silver went up with their samples. Silver went first, as Harry always allowed her to do, and Snape tested hers on his pencil. As soon as a drop of the potion touched the pencil, another one began to be formed on top of it, and after he added just one more drop, a perfect replica of his pencil rolled off the top. "O", he told her grudgingly. _Not surprising_, Harry thought. Silver and Hermione were the only ones in the class capable of earning O's. Snape gave a few out to his prized Slytherins, but Harry knew none of them actually earned them as much as Snape wished they did.  
  
Harry stepped forward and offered his potion. He saw surprise register on Snape's face as he observed the nearly perfected color and odor.  
  
"Let's try it, shall we?" he asked, smirking at the look of dread on Harry's face.  
  
He poured a few drops onto his pencil, and it was as if an explosion occurred. Snape actually had to stand up and back away from the desk as the pencils multiplied at a rapid speed. They were all bright green, and in the end Harry suspected there were about two hundred of them in all. Just then, the bell rang.  
  
"Leave your samples on my-"Snape began, before realizing that his pencil- laden desk wouldn't work. "On the front desk," he finished.  
  
Giggling students placed their samples on the front desk before leaving Harry and Silver alone with Snape.  
  
"Well," Snape said, looking at the pile of pencils. Just for effect, one more suddenly popped up, causing the whole pile and Snape to jump.  
  
Harry waited for Snape to rip him to shreds, but Snape didn't finish his sentence. Harry looked up to see him shaking his head.  
  
"How did you manage the green, Potter?" he asked finally.  
  
Harry gaped in shock. Snape didn't even seem mad. Behind him, Silver giggled.  
  
"How _did_ you manage the green?" she asked.  
  
Harry shrugged, smiling.  
  
"All right, now, take a pencil and get to your homework," Snape growled, trying to be menacing.  
  
Harry grinned at him as he took a bright green pencil and walked to an empty seat. Snape tossed one to Silver as she sat down beside him, and then he vanished them all with a Vanishing charm. As usual, Silver finished in record time. Harry was shortly behind her, and Snape looked over both their work, correcting them each a couple of times before he was completely satisfied with it.  
  
Harry glanced at the clock. It was nowhere near only four – they had an hour and fifty minutes to go. Snape sent them on errands for half an hour, and finally, Harry was left to listen to Snape and Silver talk. Silver gave Snape a blow-by-blow account of their day, including the near catastrophe with Neville.  
  
"Clumsy boy," Snape muttered, but not in a particularly mean way.  
  
After a bit of probing, he managed to get Silver to tell him where she had really gone during class, and didn't seem angry at either of them in the least when she told him. He glanced over at Harry, who was watching Snape have a normal conversation with disbelief.  
  
"How's your Occlumency going, Potter?" he demanded, looking as if he hoped Harry had gotten sick again.  
  
"Better," Harry said truthfully, "The book helped a lot."  
  
"How many times have you blocked Dumbledore?" he asked.  
  
"Two," Harry said, which to him was an amazing feat, "But I've been coming really close all the other times."  
  
Snape gave him an approving sneer. "Good," he commented, which was the biggest compliment Harry was sure any student had ever received from him.  
  
"I'm going to have to use Occlumency myself tonight," Snape commented offhandedly.  
  
For a moment Harry didn't know what he meant, but Silver gasped.  
  
"What? You didn't tell me you were meeting with Voldemort tonight!" she exclaimed.  
  
Snape jumped and glared at her for saying his name.  
  
"I knew you'd overreact and wouldn't be able to concentrate in class," he replied. Harry figured he was right.  
  
"Oh, so you weren't going to tell me!" Silver replied indignantly.  
  
"I _was_ going to tell you during Potter's Occlumency lesson," Snape answered.  
  
Silver looked very upset.  
  
"Don't cry," Snape told her, "I'll be fine."  
  
"What if you're not?" she replied in an emotional voice, "What if tonight is the last time I ever see you?"  
  
She ran up to him and hugged him, and he looked half annoyed, half pleased.  
  
"Women," he muttered under his breath as he met Harry's gaze.  
  
Harry nodded his agreement. He couldn't believe how – human – Snape seemed. He didn't know how Silver had done it, but she somehow turned on a parental mode in Snape's mind. He knew she came to talk with him every Monday and Wednesday during his Occlumency lesson, but it had never occurred to him that Snape actually talked back to her. But now, here was Snape casually informing them that he had to go lie to Voldemort that night, but not to worry because he would be back the following morning.  
  
Silver had snuck her way into his lap, and he now looked extremely confused. Harry had a feeling it was the closest Snape had ever gotten to anybody in his life.  
  
"Don't go," Silver said suddenly.  
  
"Don't be foolish," was his impatient reply.  
  
"But he'll hurt you," she said.  
  
"And if I don't go he'll kill me," Snape said. Harry thought it made sense.  
  
Silver sighed. "I suppose," she agreed finally.  
  
Snape looked preoccupied as he patted her back in what he supposed was a comforting way. Harry thought it would have been rather nice of him to stroke her hair, since she seemed to like it when Harry had done so, but he didn't dare inform Snape that he had ever been in such a close proximity with her.  
  
"I need to read my Occlumency book," Snape informed them, "So you two can go."  
  
"So I can't come back during Harry's lesson?" Silver asked, sounding disappointed.  
  
Snape looked into her disappointed eyes and Harry thought he saw Snape's firmness crashing down.  
  
"You can come for the last hour," he said.  
  
"And a half," she bargained.  
  
"The last hour and a half," he agreed halfheartedly.  
  
She beamed at him. "Come on, Harry," she said, jumping out of Snape's lap and talking to him as if he were lagging behind.  
  
"Right behind you," Harry replied as he gathered his things.  
  
"Bye," he told Snape, "and – good luck."  
  
"Won't need it," Snape answered, but Harry thought he appreciated it anyway.  
  
He and Silver headed toward Gryffindor tower, and Silver seemed very upset over something.  
  
"Wanna talk?" Harry offered.  
  
"Yeah," she replied, "Let's go for a walk."  
  
They threw their things through the portrait hole and headed outside. It was already a bit dusky outside, and everything was bathed in a pink-orange glow.  
  
Silver sighed as they walked along the edge of the lake. "He shouldn't have to go to Voldemort," she said finally.  
  
"He's doing it for Dumbledore – for the Order," Harry reminded her.  
  
"I know, but everything changes when he comes back," Silver answered, sounding frustrated.  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.  
  
"He's not the same – it puts him in a mood," she said, "I feel sorry for the class that has him tomorrow and Friday. He's absolutely terrible; he blows up over the littlest things."  
  
"Why?" Harry inquired.  
  
"Well isn't it obvious, Harry?" she asked, looking over at him as they took a seat underneath a giant oak tree. He answered her with a blank stare.  
  
"The only reason he is ever horrible to people is because of the abuse he received as a child," Silver explained, "And then he goes and reports to Voldemort, and when he doesn't bring him you and Dumbledore's head on a platter, Voldemort _hurts_ him, abuses him. It makes him bitter all over again. You'd think he'd get a break now that he hasn't seen his parents in years, but he's still being abused. His scars have never had a chance to heal."  
  
Harry looked over at Silver with a mixture of sympathy and admiration. It must hurt her, as well, when Snape was in a horrible mood, he realized.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.  
  
"For me or Snape?" she asked bemusedly.  
  
"Both of you," he replied.  
  
She leaned against him and he put his arm around her.  
  
"It's just horrible," she said quietly, "Horrible, horrible."  
  
Harry agreed with her. Even though Snape had previously made his life miserable, Silver had turned him into a complete human being, and no human being deserved to be abused – especially by Voldemort. He stroked her hair and she relaxed into him. Harry hadn't kissed her since his birthday by the fire. He wanted to then, but on the other hand, he didn't. He wanted to kiss her when she was thinking of him, not Snape. He settled for drawing her closer and putting his other arm around her.

--------------------------------------------------  
  
That night at eight thirty Harry sat in Dumbledore's office eating ice cream with the headmaster. He had successfully deflected Dumbledore the last three times in a row (out of about twenty – but who was counting?), and Dumbledore thought it was an occasion for a treat.  
  
"So, Harry, when are Quidditch tryouts?" Dumbledore asked interestedly, as if he planned on trying out for the team.  
  
"Erm, they were last Friday," Harry replied.  
  
"Oh, well, very good then," Dumbledore said contentedly, "I daresay you were happy to get on a broomstick once more."  
  
"Uh-huh," Harry managed through a large mouthful of ice cream.  
  
Dumbledore gave him a look of pure amusement as he himself took a rather large bite.  
  
At that moment Tonks came in, looking a bit flustered.  
  
"Oh no!" she exclaimed as she looked at Harry, "I forgot it was Wednesday!"  
  
"Well," Dumbledore said, "As you can see, we aren't particularly busy at the moment, so you are welcome to stay. We can get you a bowl of ice cream if you wish."  
  
"I've had lots of ice cream already," Tonks replied brightly, sitting down next to Harry in front of Dumbledore's desk.  
  
"Understandable," Dumbledore said agreeably.  
  
Tonks looked at Harry for a while.  
  
"Harry," she said, "I don't suppose you've ever thought about a career as an Auror?"  
  
Harry smiled. "Actually, that's what I want to be," he informed her. She looked absolutely delighted.  
  
"That's wonderful, you are absolutely one of my best students," she replied, causing Harry to blush.  
  
If Harry had to give Tonks' classes a rating, he would rate them much higher than Professor Umbridge's the previous year, but a bit lower than Lupin or Moody's. Concealment wasn't nearly as exciting as battling a boggart or grindylow, but it was still interesting. It was an easy O for Harry.  
  
"Dumbledore," Tonks said suddenly, as if she had just remembered what she came in for, "are we having an Order meeting next weekend?"  
  
"No," Dumbledore replied, "That is the weekend afterwards. Severus, Remus, and myself will be absent from it."  
  
"Remus?" Tonks echoed.  
  
"Yes, the weekend after next is a Hogsmeade weekend, and he will be visiting Harry."  
  
"Oh," Tonks replied, "Well, that's all I wanted to know, really."  
  
"Really?" Harry asked a bit too excitedly, "Lupin's coming?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled kindly at Harry. "He wouldn't miss it for a full moon," he assured Harry.  
  
Harry grinned at Dumbledore's almost funny sense of humor.  
  
Tonks suddenly jumped out of her chair, causing numerous objects on Dumbledore's desk to fall as she banged it with her knee.  
  
"Ouch!" she exclaimed, nearly slapping Harry as her hand flew to her newly injured knee. She then proceeded to trip over the chair, knock over Dumbledore's lamp, and "ouch!" herself out of the room.  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "I believe she could do with some dancing lessons," he commented.  
  
Harry wondered what it would be like to dance with Tonks – he imagined it would be very painful.  
  
When Silver came to get him, Harry told her very proudly how he had deflected Dumbledore three times, and she kissed him on the cheek right in front of an amused Dumbledore. He had left the room blushing and grinning a bit stupidly, nearly running into the door as he waved goodbye to Dumbledore.  
  
That night he fell asleep itching to get onto the Quidditch field the next day. He was so anxious that he didn't clear his mind before falling asleep, and his already weakened mind jumped at the opportunity to torture him for his decision.  
  
At first, he was walking down the hall to Snape's classroom. Ron and Hermione were beside him, but when they reached the door, Silver was weeping outside of it. Harry poked his head in to see what was wrong, and was sucked inside of a cold, dark room.  
  
In front of him, Snape was bowing at the foot of a throne.  
  
"My Lord," he said, "I am close – very close – to luring Dumbledore away from the castle."  
  
"And the boy?" Voldemort demanded.  
  
"I have tried to get close to him, my Lord, but it is hard. He has withdrawn after the death of that old fool, Black."  
  
"I _want_ the boy," Voldemort said impatiently.  
  
"And I want to present him to you, my Lord," Snape replied, "But I need time – time for him to begin trusting me with his grief. Human emotions are..."  
  
"Yes, I know," Voldemort cut off, "A very complex system. Very well, I will give you more time yet again. But you have not forgotten what happens to those who fail me?"  
  
"No, my Lord." There was desperation in Snape's voice.  
  
"Let me remind you," Voldemort whispered.  
  
Snape didn't plead or beg with Voldemort; instead, he bowed his head, quietly accepting his undeserved punishment.  
  
"_Crucio_!" Voldemort cried, raising his wand.  
  
Snape's body contorted, and his face was etched with pain, but he did not cry out.  
  
"Being strong, are we, Snape?" Voldemort asked, his voice full of cruel amusement, "Don't even try. _Crucio_!"  
  
Snape gasped in pain, but didn't say a word. Voldemort continued to point his wand at him, determination in those cruel, lifeless red eyes.  
  
"Scream, Snape, scream," he urged, "You know you want to. Do not resist. Scream."  
  
Snape gasped again and let out a stifled yelp.  
  
"Remember, Snape," Voldemort cried, his voice full of intense hatred, "Remember your father! Your father made you scream – _remember_."  
  
Suddenly, a scene appeared on the wall of the cave. A tall man pushed a skinny, greasy-haired teenager into a corner and kicked him three times in succession. Each time the boy screamed in pain, a nasty cracking noise could be heard. Snape let out a yell that was not quite a scream, but very close to it. Voldemort relinquished his hold on Snape's pain, and Snape, although it must have hurt him with every movement he made, put himself back into a bowing position.  
  
"You are loyal, Snape," Voldemort said approvingly, "Let that never waver. You may go."  
  
"You are good, master," Snape breathed.  
  
Snape turned, and Harry caught sight of his eyes. They were filled with pain, resentment, and hatred. Harry's scar seared with pain as he caught sight of them, and he awoke immediately.  
  
This time, he hadn't woken Ron. Gasping for breath as if it were he who had just been punished, he knew that he had just seen Snape's meeting with Voldemort. He suddenly understood why Snape was bitter.


	12. Apologies

**Disclaimer: **None of this stuff belongs to me, with the exception of Silver Riddle!

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 12 – Apologies**  
  
"Harry, by the goalpost!" Silver said exasperatedly as she batted a Bludger away from him.  
  
"Huh?" he asked blankly.  
  
"The Snitch!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Oh – goalpost," he repeated as he realized what she was saying. He had been watching her swerve around players, batting the Bludgers away and complimenting the other players as she did so.  
  
_Better not lose concentration like that during a game_, Harry thought as he sped toward the goalpost for the elusive Snitch. His Firebolt readily put on speed for him, and although it was just practice, Harry felt a competitive urge driving him to fly at top speed. The Snitch veered over the top of his broomstick to the left, and Harry after it. He reached out his hand and caught it by one wing.  
  
"Got it!" he announced.  
  
Two Bludgers came racing toward him, and Silver appeared out of nowhere. She hit them both with the handle of her broomstick and sent them speeding toward the ground.  
  
"Nice move," he complimented her.  
  
"Same to you," she replied easily.  
  
The team landed and headed for the locker rooms.  
  
"Did you see me block that shot Alicia sent my way?" Ron asked excitedly.  
  
"Uh, no," Harry answered.  
  
"Oh, that's right, you were gaping at Silver," Ron teased.  
  
Harry glared at him, but it turned into a smile when he realized Ron was right. When he arrived back outside, Silver and Hermione, who had been watching their practice, were already headed off towards the castle.  
  
"Hey!" Ron yelled after them, "Thanks for waiting!"  
  
"Your welcome," Hermione replied sarcastically over her shoulder.  
  
Grumbling, Ron and Harry jogged to catch up to them. The foursome walked through the halls discussing the upcoming Gryffindor : Ravenclaw match when Snape appeared in front of them.  
  
"Twenty points from Gryffindor," he snapped as he brushed by without even looking at them.  
  
"_See_?" Ron hissed after Snape was out of earshot, "He _is_ a git!"  
  
Harry glared at Ron. He had told them about his dream, and he expected Ron to be a bit more sensitive toward Snape, especially considering the fact that Silver was staring after him with a very hurt expression on her face. Ron immediately looked abashed.  
  
"He's _still_ in a bad mood," Silver said in disbelief.  
  
"Well, he had a pretty trying meeting with Voldemort," Harry replied comfortingly, "I'm sure he'll be fine in class tomorrow."  
  
Silver didn't look too sure, and Harry had to admit that he wasn't so sure either. Snape had visited Voldemort on Wednesday, and it was now Sunday afternoon, and he was still as angry and irritable as he had been on Thursday. Harry put a hand on her shoulder and steered her toward the Gryffindor common room. Ron and Hermione were silent, and Harry knew Ron was silently beating himself up for his comment.  
  
Silver looked frustrated and upset as they climbed through the portrait hole.  
  
"He didn't even say hi to me," she said, biting her lip.  
  
"He'll warm up," Harry reassured her.  
  
She didn't look convinced, and Harry desperately hoped that Snape would miraculously be in a good mood the next day. For the rest of the day Silver moped, although occasionally she would laugh at something particularly funny, but Harry saw the brooding in her eyes as she walked up the stairs to bed.  
  
He sighed as he and Ron headed for their own beds. "Snape needs to lighten up. Okay, so he just had a meeting with Voldemort, but he must realize that when he brushes her off like that it hurts her."  
  
Ron shrugged. "Hopefully he'll realize it by tomorrow, mate," he replied unhelpfully.  
  
Harry tried to clear his mind, but was still a bit frustrated as he fell asleep. For once, his mind didn't jump at the chance to torture him, and he slept fitfully.

------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next morning Silver seemed in a slightly better mood throughout all their morning classes, but at lunch Harry knew she was thinking of Snape.  
  
"Just relax," he told her as she picked at her food.  
  
She nodded and forced a smile onto her face. Harry and Ron did their best comedic act to cheer her up, but it only served to get a slight chuckle out of her before she dropped back down into despair. For some reason, Hermione was looking at them disapprovingly, so they followed her lead and were quiet for the rest of lunch.  
  
When the bell rang they proceeded to the dungeons in silence. Another complex potion was on the board, much to Harry's disappointment. This potion was particularly hot, and Harry found himself backing up often to wipe his face of sweat before continuing. Soon the dungeon began to heat up uncomfortably, which only seemed to make Snape more irritable. Ron, who didn't fare well in the heat, kept dropping things, which would make everybody jump. When he accidentally knocked his stool over as he was backing away to wipe sweat off his face, Snape lost it.  
  
"Twenty points from Gryffindor and the next person to drop something from the blasted house loses them fifty points!" As he said it, there was a particularly nasty glint in his eye that he didn't manage to wipe before he looked at Silver.  
  
Harry glanced at Silver, who was biting her lip determinedly and looking close to tears. He could tell that Snape's harshness was affecting her concentration as well as the heat. She was very flushed, and seemed to be breathing hard as she slaved over her potion.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked her concernedly, "You look sick."  
  
"I'm fine," she replied stubbornly.  
  
He noticed, however, that she was working progressively slower, and her grip seemed to be failing her at times. _Please don't let her drop something_, he prayed silently, _She'll have a heart attack if she loses Gryffindor fifty points_. Almost as if on cue, a porcelain cup filled with crushed cockroaches slipped from her fingers and crashed to the floor. Snape looked up menacingly.  
  
"Fifty –"he began, but suddenly Silver collapsed into a heap on the floor.  
  
Abandoning all dignity, Snape rushed to her side as Harry picked her up.  
  
"_What_," he hissed at Harry, "_happened_?"  
  
"I think she's sensitive to the heat," Harry answered dumbly.  
  
Snape gave him a withering look and disappeared into his private storage room. Whispers broke out around the classroom.  
  
Harry sat down on the floor and leaned her against him. Snape returned holding a vial of liquid that was either a dark shade of green or black. He gently eased it into her mouth and trickled it down her throat. Her eyes fluttered open momentarily. She sat up, away from Harry, looking a bit dazed.  
  
"Are you okay?" Snape asked her, trying to mask his concern.  
  
Her eyes landed on the smashed cup. She began to cry.  
  
"I...lost...fifty...p...points," she sobbed.  
  
Snape rolled his eyes.  
  
"You haven't lost any points, child," he said impatiently.  
  
"B...but I d...dropped it," she protested, pointing to the shards of porcelain.  
  
"You haven't lost any points," he repeated.  
  
She continued to sob. Sighing, Snape grasped her arm and helped her to her feet. He led her to the door, and before he exited, he turned back around and stated fiercely, "When I get back each of your potions had better be _perfected_."  
  
He then proceeded to exit the chamber and close the door behind him. Surprisingly, everyone began to work on their potions once more. Nobody dared to disobey Snape. Harry was amazed at the fact that his potion was coming along nicely. It was nearly as good at Hermione's, and he thought that if he kept it up, he might be able to convince Snape to give him an "O" for once.  
  
The door opened, and Snape came in, followed by a much happier looking Silver. The moment she came in, she returned to work on her potion, although Harry noticed that she stopped at times and went to stand in the coolness of the back of the classroom. She didn't say a word, but she looked much more content. When the bell rang, she completely ignored it.  
  
"The bell rang," Harry informed her.  
  
"I know," she replied, "Snape said I could stay afterwards to finish my potion. He said you could stay with me, if you want."  
  
"Alright," Harry agreed, "I'll turn in my potion and wait for you."  
  
She nodded and continued to tend to her potion.  
  
Harry confidently took his potion up to Snape's desk. Snape sneered at it for a few moments before announcing, "Well done, but it's not quite dark enough. You've earned an E."  
  
Harry knew that his handsomely colored purple potion was "O" material, but didn't say anything. Instead, he turned a bit dejectedly back to his desk. Now that the room was not full of broiling cauldrons, it was cooling down nicely.  
  
"Done!" Silver announced proudly.  
  
Harry looked at hers and was disappointed to find that it was a tad darker than his, so Snape had an excuse for giving her an O. Sure enough, that was her grade when she took it up to his desk.  
  
"Be back at six," she reminded Snape as she turned to leave.  
  
"Looking forward to it," Snape replied, although he didn't sound all too eager. Harry decided that it was hard for Snape to express his true emotions, because he was sure that what Snape said had been sincere.  
  
As they worked on their homework, Silver was particularly cheerful.  
  
"Did you and Snivelly make up?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow as she happily pulled out her quill for a History of Magic essay.  
  
"Don't call him that," she replied as she began to write.  
  
"Did he apologize?" Ron probed.  
  
She looked up. "For what?"  
  
"Being a git," Ron said truthfully.  
  
She sighed. "Yes," she relented, "But it's not as if he didn't have a reason."  
  
"I know," Ron answered sincerely.  
  
Soon they were done with their homework, and all doing something of their own. Harry was reading the Occlumency book Snape had given him, Silver was writing a letter, Hermione was stubbornly knitting new clothes for the house elves, and Ron was tutting at her insistently.  
  
"Will you _stop it_, Ron?" she asked impatiently.  
  
"Well, I –"Ron began, but he cut himself off as he got a glimpse of Silver's reproving face.  
  
"You what?" Hermione asked dangerously.  
  
Harry glanced up to join Silver in observing them.  
  
"Nothing," Ron mumbled, "Sorry."  
  
"I accept your apology," Hermione replied in a dignified voice.  
  
Suddenly, without warning, Ron reached over, pulled Hermione toward him, and kissed her. Then, blushing furiously, he told her, "The house elves don't wanna be freed," and walked off to the boys dorms.  
  
Hermione looked dumbstruck. "Well...I...well!" was all she said before getting up and going up to the girl's dorms, blushing almost as much as Ron.  
  
Silver burst into giggles. Harry couldn't help but laugh with her.  
  
"That's what happens when you give people advice!" he teased.  
  
"I didn't know he would take me literally. That was kinda cute – did you see the looks on their faces?" she replied.  
  
Her eyes sparkled as she looked into his. He sat up and pulled her closer. As was commonplace by then, they were interrupted. Harry was furious. He looked at Ron and Hermione, who had exited their dorms at the same time, and glared.  
  
"Come on, Harry," Silver said, pulling on his arm.  
  
"I don't want to go anywhere," he replied.  
  
"They need to talk," she hissed.  
  
Reluctantly, he allowed himself to be pulled off the couch and led out of the common room. It was five forty-five. They headed towards Dumbledore's office, and Harry was still mad that their kiss had been interrupted. It always happened, without fail. They reached the gargoyle and Harry glared at it, and when he fixed his gaze on Silver, she was smiling.  
  
"What?" he snapped.  
  
"Nothing," she said innocently, putting her arms around his neck and smiling mischievously.  
  
Grinning, he slid his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. Amazingly, there were no interruptions. Their lips met and Harry felt his stomach do cartwheels as fireworks exploded in his mind. She tightened her arms around him, and he was about to do the same, but suddenly something hit him on the side of the head, knocking him away from her.  
  
"Ouch!" he exclaimed, grabbing his head, and ready to curse whatever had interrupted. His resolve to curse failed, however, when he found himself looking into Snape's flashing eyes.  
  
Silver seemed at a loss for words.  
  
"Get up to your Occlumency before I rip you apart, Potter," he threatened.  
  
"Why would you rip me apart?" Harry challenged.  
  
"Because you were...you were..." Snape looked as if he could not find words terrible enough for what Harry had just done as he gestured to Silver.  
  
"Kissing her?" Harry finished.  
  
"Yes," Snape hissed, looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him.  
  
"So what?" he challenged, "Why is it any of your business?"  
  
"Well she didn't want to kiss you!" Snape yelled.  
  
"She did too, ask her!" Harry told him.  
  
Snape turned to Silver triumphantly. Harry realized that Snape actually thought he had forced Silver to kiss him.  
  
"Actually, I did," she told Snape meekly.  
  
Snape looked from her to Harry and back at her.  
  
"Are you telling me you went along with...him?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she replied.  
  
Snape looked as if his eyeballs were going to pop out. He looked at Harry suspiciously.  
  
"What, do you think I forced her to put her arms around my neck?" Harry challenged.  
  
Snape didn't reply, he just looked at the two of them again and then turned and stormed off toward the dungeons.  
  
Silver was smiling.  
  
"What's so funny about that?" Harry inquired, rubbing the side of his head, "He's going to kill me!"  
  
Silver sighed. "He's just a bit protective is all...and he wont be so mad after I talk to him."  
  
"Did he _punch_ me?" Harry asked in amazement.  
  
"I think so," she replied, walking up. She took her head in her hands and gently rubbed over the spot where Snape had hit him. "Does it hurt?" she asked concernedly.  
  
"Depends," Harry replied, his eyes flashing with mischief, "Will you kiss it and make it better if it does?"  
  
She smiled. "I think I might," she replied.  
  
"Well, he got me right here," Harry said, pointing to his lips.  
  
She giggled and stepped closer to him, but suddenly the gargoyle sprang open.  
  
"Harry!" Dumbledore said delightedly, "Just the man I was looking for!"  
  
Harry did his best not to glare at the Headmaster, but he couldn't help it. Dumbledore smiled brightly at him in response.  
  
Silver giggled again. "See you later, Harry," she said as she headed off toward the dungeons.  
  
Harry sighed and followed Dumbledore up to his office. Once there, he proceeded to rant to Dumbledore about what had just happened. Dumbledore chuckled when he finished.  
  
"Well, well, Severus is recuperating quite nicely, I see," he said.  
  
"Oh yeah..." Harry said, "I had another dream. I think I saw Snape's meeting with Voldemort."  
  
He told Dumbledore all about his dream, and this time included the fact that he hadn't cleared his mind before he went to sleep.  
  
"Are you _sure_, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, "Are you absolutely positive that it was actually what happened?"  
  
"Yes," Harry said miserably, "I mean, what else could've happened to put Snape in such a bad mood? Mind you, this is Snape we're talking about, so he's in a bad mood to begin with."  
  
Dumbledore looked on the verge of smiling, but only his eyes gave away his amusement.  
  
"_Professor_ Snape, Harry," he reminded him.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Harry muttered, still angry with Snape for the blow he had given him.  
  
It only took Harry ten tries to block Dumbledore, and he successfully did that five times before Dumbledore let him have a rest.  
  
"Very nice, Harry," Dumbledore complimented, "I think soon we will be able to start without the use of the Pensieve."  
  
Harry sighed. "Do we have to add that memory?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, Harry, I'm afraid Voldemort might not be so courteous as to let you use a Pensieve before he invades your mind," Dumbledore reminded him.  
  
"Alright," Harry grumbled.  
  
They practiced again, and Harry was elated that he blocked Dumbledore successfully on his seventh try, as was Dumbledore.  
  
"Well!" he exclaimed, "We're out of the two-digit numbers, that's something!"  
  
Harry couldn't help but laugh.  
  
At nine o' clock, while Harry and Dumbledore were discussing Harry's current victory of success on the fifth try, Silver entered, dragging Snape behind her. Harry eyed the professor suspiciously.  
  
"Hi, Harry, Professor Dumbledore," she beamed.  
  
They said hello back, and she continued, "Professor Snape just has something he'd like to say to Harry."  
  
Harry looked into Snape's eyes, and Snape glared back at him.  
  
"Sorry," he mumbled.  
  
"Ah...no problem," Harry said.  
  
Snape quickly changed the subject. "Headmaster, I've come to discuss something with you."  
  
"Very well, Severus, I have until breakfast tomorrow morning," Dumbledore said cheerfully.  
  
Snape looked at Dumbledore in disbelief before sitting down in one of the fluffy armchairs in front of Dumbledore's desk.  
  
"Well, off you go," Snape ordered Harry and Silver. He smirked as Harry tripped while turning around, but refrained from making fun of him.  
  
"See?" Silver asked Harry delightedly as they headed for the Gryffindor common room, "He's not that bad."  
  
"Yeah, he totally wanted to apologize," Harry said sarcastically.  
  
"Well the point is that he did," Silver answered, not letting his sarcasm get the better of her good mood.  
  
"I suppose," Harry agreed, "But I bet you anything he gives us a really hard potion Wednesday."  
  
Silver laughed, and Harry was content.


	13. Hogsmeade

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's people, places, items...ect ect ect

**Reviewers**: Wow, you guys are so awesome! Your compliments make me happy, and your criticism helps me a lot (as you can see, I am by no means J.K. Rowling)! Oh, and I am absolutely delighted everyone is so interested in Silver's parents! Making them up was the hardest thing about creating her, and I'm glad to know my hard work paid off. Oh yes, and as far as Apparating goes, I thought it would be nice if the adults could Apparate the underage wizards by holding on to them while they themselves Apparated. Sorry if this bothers anybody. And sorry I haven't updated in a while (well, a day...), but my weekends are very busy, whereas my weekdays leave me free to add stories.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter 13 – Hogsmeade**  
  
The weeks at Hogwarts flew by smoothly for Harry. Gryffindor won its first Quidditch game against Ravenclaw, but the really anticipated match between Gryffindor and Slytherin would occur only after Christmas, and after they played Hufflepuff. Snape was almost civil to Harry most of the time, but he still hadn't gotten his "O" in Potions, which he fully intended to earn by the end of the year. He was sure that he had produced "O" material several times, but Snape never gave him that particular satisfaction. He hadn't broken his record in Occlumency with Dumbledore, which was five tries, so he was saved from being plagued by Sirius' memory every Monday and Wednesday. Whenever he felt the least bit down, Silver was next to him, cheering him up by hugging him or occasionally kissing him on the cheek.  
  
Finally, it was the Friday before the Hogsmeade weekend. Harry was bursting with excitement. He wanted badly to see Lupin again – to tell him everything that had happened. Harry sprang up the hallway to the Gryffindor common room after clarifying what days Quidditch practice officially was with Professor McGonagall. He entered the common room to find Silver staring at a bright red Ron with an amused look on her face.  
  
"What's up?" he asked, plopping down between the two.  
  
"I asked Hermione to go to Hogsmeade with me," Ron said in amazement.  
  
"Don't you always go together?" Harry asked.  
  
"No, stupid, on a date!" Ron replied, annoyed.  
  
"Oh," Harry said, exchanging a mischievous glance with Silver.  
  
"What will I wear?" Ron asked.  
  
"Clothes," Harry replied firmly. He turned to Silver.  
  
"You going to come with me and Lupin?" he asked, fully expecting her to say yes.  
  
"Of course not!" she exclaimed, causing him to do a double-take.  
  
"Why not?" he asked.  
  
"Because you two need to talk," she answered firmly.  
  
"Well, it's not like you give us a speech impediment," he said.  
  
"Alone," she finished.  
  
He sighed. "What are you going to do then?"  
  
"She's going to come with us," Ron replied, "Isn't she?"  
  
"Absolutely not! Why would I come with you on your date?" she demanded.  
  
"Well where are you going to go then?" Harry asked.  
  
"I'm not sure yet," she replied.  
  
Harry sighed. "You've got to come with one of us," he told her.  
  
"I do not!" she answered, sounding shocked he would suggest such a thing.  
  
"Well what then, you're just going to go wandering around alone?"   
"Yes."   
"You do realize there is a rather large group of Death Eaters after you."   
"Yes."   
"You're crazy."

She sighed and began to move away, but Harry reached out and held her wrist, and she lingered.  
  
"Come on, Lupin and I wouldn't mind your company at all," he coaxed.  
  
"Harry," she said exasperatedly, "You two need to talk alone!"  
  
"Well, we can be alone with you," Harry answered. He saw annoyance in her eyes.  
  
"No, Harry, just drop it!" she warned.  
  
He fixed her with a pleading look. "But I wanna be with you in Hogsmeade," he fake pouted.  
  
"Fine," she said, "But you and Lupin are spending at least half the day together, alone."  
  
"I think that's an oxymoron," Harry informed her, "together...alone?"  
  
"You know what I mean," she replied, eyes beginning to flash dangerously. He could see that she was still annoyed, but he thought it was cute.  
  
"Okay, let's say we meet you in the Three Broomsticks around noon," he suggested.  
  
"One thirty," she replied stubbornly.  
  
"One thirty," he relented, "What are you going to do the whole morning?"  
  
"I don't know," she sighed, "Maybe I'll hang out with Ginny and her friends."  
  
"Won't Ginny be with Dean?" he asked, confused.  
  
"Harry, they broke up ages ago," she replied, as if this were common knowledge.  
  
"Oh," he said. He could tell by looking at Ron that Ron hadn't known either.  
  
"Well, I suppose that will be okay," he relented.  
  
"I didn't need your permission," she informed him haughtily.  
  
"'Course you didn't," he replied, purposely getting on her nerves.  
  
She made an impatient noise not unlike the one Hermione often made and headed out of Gryffindor tower.  
  
"Isn't she cute?" he asked Ron.  
  
"Adorable," Ron replied sarcastically.  
  
Harry threw a pillow at him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next morning Harry awoke with an excited feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was early, but he got dressed anyway and went out into the empty common room. He sat on the couch impatiently, and twisted around when he heard a door open. Silver was grinning at him from the top of the stairs. She was wearing a light blue tank top and black pants, and her hair poured over her shoulders and down her back in large ringlets. Harry remembered how excited she had been to visit Diagon Alley, and realized that this must be a big event for her.  
  
"I had a feeling you'd be getting up early this morning," she told him.  
  
He grinned. "I'm excited," he admitted.  
  
"Good," she replied, coming and sitting down beside him.  
  
"So, are you going to hang out with Ginny today?" he asked.  
  
"Um...yeah," she replied, looking in the opposite direction.  
  
Harry studied her closely. He knew she would never tell him a direct lie, but there was something she wasn't telling him.  
  
"Really?" he asked.  
  
"Really," she replied, turning to look at him.  
  
He studied her eyes intently, trying to make out her emotions. Trust, yes, he knew that...determination, of course...unease?  
  
She turned away before he could verify.  
  
"Don't do that," she murmured.  
  
"Why not?" he challenged.  
  
"Because I don't want you to," she answered.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized halfheartedly. He still felt she was hiding, but he figured it couldn't be that important. However, she had always allowed him to read into her emotions before...  
  
"Just not right now," she replied. He felt a bit better.  
  
Another door opened and Hermione came down. She was a bit dressed up, but not too much. She had a white sweater and beige pants on, and her hair was drawn back in the front and tied back with a beige ribbon.  
  
"Go wake up Ron," she told him, "Or we'll be the last ones to eat breakfast."  
  
Grinning, he left as ordered. He helped Ron pick out something to wear and then they walked back into the common room, which now had a couple more people in it.  
  
"Let's eat!" Hermione announced, as Ron blushed at the sight of her. He pulled Harry well behind the two girls to talk to him.  
  
"I can't even look at her," he whispered to Harry, "How am I going to get through today?"  
  
"Ron, it's just Hermione," Harry reminded him, "Just be yourself."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Ron sped to catch up with the girls and began to talk to Hermione, blush-free. Silver looked over her shoulder and then stopped and waited for him to catch up. They walked to breakfast in companionable silence.  
  
The Great Hall was filling up as they sat down and ate. Harry noticed Snape watching the foursome with suspicion, as if at any moment they might jump up and start a riot. Silver glanced up at him and smiled, and he relaxed a bit. Harry became uncomfortable as Snape's eyes stayed on them all during breakfast.  
  
"What's his problem?" he finally muttered, "What does he think he is, a hawk?"  
  
"What?" Silver asked from beside him.  
  
"Nothing," he answered.  
  
_He's probably worried about her_, Harry realized. Even Harry was worried about her, although he told himself there was no need to be because she would be with Ginny.  
  
When everyone was finally crowded at the exit of Hogwarts, Silver informed him that she was going to meet up with Ginny.  
  
"Alright," he replied, "See you at one thirty."  
  
When they arrived at Hogsmeade, he looked every direction he could for a sign of Lupin. Then he saw him, searching the crowd just as eagerly for Harry. Some students greeted him as they walked past, remembering the year he had taught at Hogwarts. He thanked them, but his eyes continued to search the mob. Harry jumped up, waving his arms, and Lupin caught sight of him and smiled. Eventually, Harry reached him.  
  
"How are you, Harry?" he asked warmly.  
  
"Good," Harry replied, "You?"  
  
"Excellent," Lupin answered, "Where to first?"  
  
"Well, I want to make sure Silver is with Ginny," Harry replied dutifully, explaining the Ron-Hermione predicament. Lupin nodded and helped Harry look. Finally, Harry spotted Silver walking beside Ginny, chatting. He felt an incredible relief, although he could not explain why.  
  
"I told her we'd meet up with her in the Three Broomsticks around one- thirty," he told Lupin.  
  
"Works for me," Lupin replied.  
  
Harry looked around Hogsmeade, wondering where they should go first.  
  
"Wanna go to Zonko's?" he asked.  
  
"Sure," Lupin replied, "I haven't been there since my Hogwarts days."  
  
While they walked through Zonko's, Lupin reminisced about the Marauders.  
  
"One day your father and Sirius set off all the dungbombs in the store," he said, chuckling, "The whole street smelled."  
  
Harry felt a pang when Lupin mentioned Sirius' name. _If Sirius were here_, he thought miserably, before forcing his thoughts in another direction. _Sirius wouldn't be here_, he reminded himself, _seeing as everyone thought he was a mass murderer_.  
  
"Sorry, Harry," Lupin said, "I didn't mean to...well..."  
  
"It's okay," Harry said, "It's not your fault."  
  
Lupin didn't look so sure.  
  
"So, Harry, tell me about what's been happening," he suggested.  
  
Harry filled him in on recent events, which included Silver fainting during Potions. To his surprise, Lupin chuckled.  
  
"That girl..." Lupin said, smiling.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"Very emotional, isn't she?" Lupin inquired.  
  
"Well...yes," Harry said, not seeing what it had to do with anything.  
  
"Don't you think it's an odd combination? Her and Snape? It's like two extremes – very emotional and non-emotional."  
  
Harry smiled. "Yeah, it is," he agreed.  
  
"Good for Snivelly...sorry, Snape, though," Lupin said thoughtfully.  
  
"I suppose. I don't really see why she chose _him_ to bond with," Harry answered.  
  
Lupin didn't respond. Harry didn't know why the sudden silence had occurred, but it was a bit awkward.  
  
"Um, do you want to go to a different store?" he ventured.  
  
"Sure," Lupin said agreeably.  
  
They went and visited the Shrieking Shack for a while, and Harry could tell Lupin was remembering the days the Marauders had spent there. Harry realized that it was already half-past noon. He looked up at Lupin to see that Lupin was gazing off in a distracted manner.  
  
"Did you say Silver was supposed to be with Ginny all day?" he inquired.  
  
"Yes," Harry answered, "Why?"  
  
"Well, unless Ginny has turned into a teenage boy with blonde hair, I believe she needs our help," he replied as if he were commenting on the weather.  
  
_Blonde hair?_ Harry groaned inwardly as he spun around. Sure enough, Draco was interestedly talking to a slightly scared-looking Silver. Silver began to back away, but Draco reached out and grabbed her wrist. Harry and Lupin whipped their wands out and began to run toward the two.  
  
"Drop her, Malfoy, or you'll pay!" Harry threatened as he neared.  
  
Draco looked up, surprised, and then smiled at them as he grabbed her and held her in front of him, making it impossible for them to cast a spell without hitting her first.  
  
"Don't take another step," Draco advised them.  
  
Harry and Lupin skidded to a stop a few feet away from them. Silver stepped on his foot and Harry saw him wince, scowl, and tighten his grip on her.  
  
"Ouch!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Don't move, and it won't hurt," he replied. He looked at Harry and Lupin with satisfaction. "Do I have something important to you?" he asked in mock surprise.  
  
"Let her go," Lupin demanded.  
  
Draco sneered. "Are you going to make me?" he replied, "Because I really don't think you should try it. If you scare me, I might accidentally snap her wrist."  
  
Harry watched as he tightened his grip on her wrists. Silver bit her lip, her eyes watering.  
  
Suddenly Hermione and Ron appeared from the trees on either side. They stuck their wands into Draco's back. Draco stiffened.  
  
"Drop her, Malfoy," Ron spat.  
  
"You gonna curse me, Weasley?" Draco replied.  
  
"No, because I could make a much cleaner job of it than he could...or should I say dirtier?" Hermione replied.  
  
Draco's eyes widened.  
  
"You have until the count of three, Draco," Hermione informed him, "Three."  
  
Draco released her and she practically flew behind Harry.  
  
"You alright?" Harry asked, still pointing his wand at Draco threateningly.  
  
"Yes," she replied in a completely unconvincing voice.  
  
Harry and Lupin exchanged glances, and Draco began to run away.  
  
"_Stupefy_!" Ron yelled, and a beam of light shot out of his wand towards Draco. Draco had shown some intelligence, however, and ran into the trees, making it nearly impossible to aim a curse at him. Harry began after him, but Lupin stopped him.  
  
"He's gone, Harry."  
  
Harry stepped back disappointedly. He had wanted a good reason to curse Malfoy for some time. He turned to Silver, who was pointedly hiding her wrists behind her back.  
  
"Let me see," he told her.  
  
"I'm fine," she told him.  
  
He raised his eyebrows and held out his hands. Reluctantly, she put her hands forward. There were reddish marks around her wrists which Harry was sure would turn into bruises.  
  
"Let's get you back to Hogwarts," Lupin suggested, "A visit with Madam Pomfrey should heal you right up."  
  
She looked as if she wanted to protest, but she looked down at her wrists and nodded. Harry knew they must really hurt for her not to be arguing. Ron and Hermione fell into step beside them as they headed back.  
  
"What a bloody bast..." Ron began, before realizing that Lupin was there.  
  
Lupin looked mildly amused, as if he had found it funny but didn't want to say so. When they arrived at Hogwarts, Silver walked right past Madam Pomfrey's office.  
  
"Um, Silver, it's right here," Hermione said, pointing at the door.  
  
"I know that," she replied exasperatedly without so much as a glance over her shoulder.  
  
Lupin, Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked at each other and then jogged to catch up with her.  
  
"Where are you going, then?" Hermione prodded.  
  
Suddenly Ron let out a disgusted snort.  
  
"She's going to Snape's," he said in a voice that made it obvious he didn't think it was necessary.  
  
Silver didn't say anything, which meant that he was right.  
  
"Can't you tell him about it _after_ you go to Madam Pomfrey's?" Hermione asked, "You must be in pain."  
  
Silver just shook her head and continued to walk. Harry was utterly shocked that she refused to argue with anyone, and agreed wholeheartedly with Hermione.  
  
"You know, she's right," he told her, "If you're hurting..."  
  
"What makes you think I'm hurting?" she snapped.  
  
"Well, for one, you haven't raised an argument since Draco ran away," Harry answered.  
  
She looked back at him, eyes flashing angrily, and quickened her pace so that he had to jog to stay by her side.  
  
"Don't walk so fast," he pleaded, "It's only true."  
  
She gave him a withering look as they turned down into the dungeon corridors.  
  
Sighing, Harry dropped behind a step or two and followed her resignedly.  
  
"She's a stubborn one, isn't she?" Ron commented. Silver gave him a venomous look over her shoulder.  
  
When they reached the door to Snape's classroom, she burst in without knocking. The rest of them were right behind. Snape nearly jumped as they arrived. He was brewing some sort of potion on his desk. Silver ran up to him and held out her wrists.  
  
"Look what happened," she said, as long held-in tears began to stream down her cheeks.  
  
Snape snapped his fingers, and the lights in the room brightened. He held her wrists in the light and looked back up at her.  
  
"_Who_ did this to you?" he demanded.  
  
"Draco," she sniffed.  
  
Snape looked as if he might lash out and overturn his desk at any moment. He glared up at them.  
  
"Why didn't you do anything?" he spat, looking pointedly at Harry.  
  
"We did," Ron answered, "That's why she's here right now."  
  
"Well, you were a little late, weren't you?" Snape sneered back, looking as if he'd like nothing more than to rip Ron's head off and use it for a potion ingredient.  
  
As soon as Snape turned back to Silver, Ron made a face at him.  
  
"Have you seen Madam Pomfrey?" Snape demanded.  
  
"Well, not yet..." Silver replied.  
  
"Why not?" he answered, his eyes boring into her.  
  
"I wanted to see you first," she said, rather sweetly in Harry's opinion.  
  
"Hogwash. You should have seen her the instant you arrived," Snape told her.  
  
Silver looked slightly hurt.  
  
"See?" Hermione said, "I told you."  
  
Snape gave her an icy look, and she began to study the floor very intently.  
  
"Go see Madam Pomfrey, and then come up to Dumbledore's office," he instructed.  
  
He seemed to notice Lupin for the first time. "You will come to Dumbledore's office with me," he ordered. Lupin looked slightly offended at being told what to do by Snape, but he nodded curtly in agreement.  
  
Madam Pomfrey nearly went into hysteria when she found out how Silver had gotten the bruises. She muttered consistently as she healed Silver, and the words "insufferable" and "Malfoy" were distinguishable. They headed to Dumbledore's office with a slightly more content Silver.  
  
"I hope he gets expelled," Ron raged.  
  
"I hope he gets suspended – then when he comes back he'll have to face everybody knowing what an idiot he is," Hermione answered.  
  
"No, expulsion would be better, that way we'd never have to see him again."   
"No, suspension would teach him a lesson that would last a lot longer than expulsion."   
"But why would we want to have to see his ugly face in classes again?"  
"It'll be worth it if he's constantly embarrassed."   
"No it won't."   
"Yes, it will."  
  
They argued all the way to Dumbledore's office, and Harry practically had to yell "Sugar Quill" for the gargoyle to hear the password over all the noise.  
  
"It will not," Ron hissed as they headed up the staircase.   
  
"Will too," Hermione answered in a low voice.  
  
"_Guys_," Silver complained.  
  
"Touchy, are we?" Ron asked, sounding offended that anyone would interrupt his and Hermione's argument..  
  
Hermione seemed to agree, for once. Dumbledore swept the door open for them as they arrived at the top.  
  
"Ah, Miss Riddle," he said. Harry thought he detected a spark of amusement in his eyes as he said her last name. "I hear you had a run in with Mr. Malfoy today. Please tell me about it."  
  
"Well," Silver said, "I was walking towards the Shrieking Shack and he kind of appeared out of nowhere and asked me if I wanted to go back to his dorm with him...I told him I'd rather drown myself, and I think I got his temper up a bit."  
  
Harry couldn't help but grin. Malfoy had gotten rejected badly. He noticed that Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling, Lupin was attempting to hide a grin, and even Snape had a flicker of amusement in his eyes.  
  
"Well now, Miss Riddle, may I ask what you were doing walking alone?" Dumbledore inquired.  
  
Harry sat up. What _was_ she doing, walking alone?  
  
Silver shot him a nervous glance before answering.  
  
"Well, I've always enjoyed taking walks, but I haven't gotten to take one since I was about nine, and I thought today would be the perfect time."  
  
"Ah, but there you see, Miss Riddle, it wasn't," Dumbledore answered, "You are very lucky it was Mr. Malfoy that found you, and not a Death Eater. You do understand that there is quite a number of Death Eaters after you, don't you?"  
  
Dumbledore was giving Silver a piercing stare, and she averted her eyes.  
  
"Yes," she murmured quietly.  
  
"I see," Dumbledore replied, "So you are telling me that you purposely endangered yourself so that you could take a walk?"  
  
"Yes," she replied, her voice even quieter than before.  
  
"That was not an intelligent action, Miss Riddle, which disappoints me greatly, because your teachers tell me you are a very smart young lady," Dumbledore said.  
  
"I'm sorry," Silver said, looking up to meet his eyes with desperation, "I won't disappoint you again, just please let me stay at Hogwarts."  
  
Surprise flashed in Dumbledore's eyes.  
  
"Miss Riddle, I was never considering even _allowing_ you to leave Hogwarts," he informed her.  
  
"But...you said you were disappointed with me," Silver answered, looking confused, "Why would you still keep me?"  
  
"You will find, Miss Riddle, that not all people are as unforgiving as Voldemort and his followers," Dumbledore answered, "And you will also find that I have no intention of surrendering you anytime soon."  
  
"You're going to keep me after I've failed you?" Silver asked in amazement, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"You haven't failed anyone," Snape said, his voice oddly harsh, "Don't think that."  
  
Silver turned her surprised eyes on him. "Oh, but I have," she said mournfully.  
  
"No, you haven't," Snape answered. He managed to sound annoyed and reassuring at the same time.  
  
"I must agree with Severus," Dumbledore said kindly.  
  
Silver looked from Dumbledore to Snape, and back to Dumbledore again.  
  
"Thank you," she said fervently.  
  
Harry wouldn't have been surprised if she had bowed, she looked so thankful.  
  
"Children, you should get down to the Great Hall for dinner," Dumbledore replied, "The students from Hogsmeade should be arriving shortly."  
  
"Bye," Harry said to Lupin.  
  
Lupin smiled. "See you soon, Harry," he replied.  
  
As the foursome walked down to the Great Hall, Silver was practically skipping.  
  
"What's up with you?" Ron asked.  
  
"Dumbledore forgave me!" she replied jubilantly.  
  
"You didn't do anything," Hermione pointed out.  
  
Silver gave her a pitying look. "I disappointed him," she said reprovingly.  
  
"Oh, for heaven's sake, he didn't mean it like that!" Hermione replied.  
  
Silver looked at Hermione as if she were something of great interest. "You don't understand," she told her reproachfully.  
  
"Understand what, exactly?" Hermione replied.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. Did Hermione _have_ to know everything?  
  
"Forgiveness," Silver answered, "You take it for granted."  
  
Hermione looked as if she were about to reply, but Harry elbowed her. Shooting him an icy look, she held her tongue. Silver's good mood kept up – she smiled to herself and everybody else she saw as they walked to the Great Hall. Soon, all of the Hogsmeade students were there – except for Draco. Ron found this extremely amusing, and commented on it all through dinner.  
  
"Ron, will you shut up about Malfoy?" Hermione said finally.  
  
Ron blushed. "Sorry," he said immediately. Hermione looked surprised, but gave him a smile before she returned to her food, causing him to blush even more.  
  
As usual, they were the last ones left in the common room at night. Harry had begun to wonder how they were always the ones who stayed up the latest and woke up the earliest. Harry suddenly noticed that Silver was giving him a pointed look.  
  
"_I'm_ going to bed," she announced.  
  
"Uh, okay," he replied, confused.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Don't you think _you_ should go to bed, too, Harry?"  
  
Harry didn't, but he knew better than to argue.  
  
"Uh, yeah," he replied, unconvinced. He really didn't feel too tired, but he got up anyway.  
  
She beamed at him.  
  
"Night, everyone," she said pleasantly.  
  
"Night," mumbled Ron, who was blushing for some reason unknown to Harry.  
  
"Good night!" Hermione replied briskly.  
  
"Uh, night," Harry said, still confused.  
  
It wasn't until Harry got to bed and wondered why Ron hadn't come in yet that he realized that Silver was getting him out of the room so Ron and Hermione could be alone together. _I wonder what's going on between them, anyway_, he thought. He decided to ask Ron when he came in, but after waiting what seemed like forever to Harry, his eyelids began to droop. He had to make more of an effort to clear his mind than usual, since he was busy thinking of Ron and Hermione, but finally he managed to do so, and drifted off to sleep immediately.


	14. The Locket

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's people, places, items, or anything else that she's made up!

**Confession:** I made up a spell in this chapter..."Aperio Specialis"...it means "reveal secret" in Latin. Now that I've confessed, nobody can complain about me using a fake spell! ;)  
  
**Chapter 14 – The Locket**  
  
Harry yawned sleepily and stretched. He had just had a very good night's sleep. His eyes flickered to the clock on his bedstand, and then widened. _It's late!_ he realized. He hurriedly got out of bed and dressed, realizing that even Ron was already gone. It only took him a few minutes to get ready, and then he headed down to the common room. Almost everyone was down in the Great Hall eating breakfast, but Silver was sitting peacefully on the couch in front of the fire, waiting for him.  
  
"Morning, sleepyhead," she greeted.  
  
He grinned. "Morning," he replied.  
  
He plopped down beside her and looked around.  
  
"Where's Ron and Hermione?" he asked.  
  
"They went down to breakfast about a half an hour ago," she informed him, "Ron was really hungry."  
  
"Why'd I wake up so late?" Harry wondered aloud.  
  
"You were tired," she replied sensibly, "Come on, let's go down and eat."  
  
"Wonder if Malfoy got expelled," Harry said mischievously as they adjourned to the Great Hall.  
  
She giggled. "I don't think we'll be nearly so lucky," she told him.  
  
"Well, we can always hope," he answered.  
  
Ron and Hermione were arguing over something when they arrived. ("Did not"..."Did too")  
  
"Morning," Silver greeted.  
  
They looked up at her as if she had just interrupted something very important.  
  
"Good morning," Hermione greeted.  
  
"Morning," Ron echoed.  
  
Silver smiled. "So, anything interesting happen?"  
  
"Yeah, Malfoy hasn't shown up yet!" Ron answered happily, "I bet you he's expelled."  
  
"I bet you he's not," came a voice from behind them. They spun around to look into Draco's sneering face.  
  
Ron looked highly disappointed.  
  
"But thanks to you, filthy half-blood," he continued, looking at Silver with loathing, "I'm on probation for a month."  
  
He spat on the ground near her, causing her to jump, and then grinned at her reaction.  
  
"See you around," he said in a way Harry was sure he didn't like.  
  
Draco turned and walked away.  
  
"Probation?" Ron echoed.  
  
"He's only allowed to go to classes and meals, the rest of the time he has to go to his dorm," Hermione answered, "He won't even be allowed in the Slytherin common room."  
  
Ron sniggered. "Serves him right." Suddenly Silver stood up.  
  
"Did you hear what he called me?" she asked, "A half-blood!"  
  
Rather than looking offended, she looked as if her dreams had all come true.  
  
"And you're happy about this?" Ron asked.  
  
"He knows who my father is!" Silver exclaimed joyfully, and without another word, she turned and began to run after him.  
  
Immediately the remaining trio vaulted from their seats and followed her.  
  
"Draco!" Silver called, "Malfoy! Draco!"  
  
Draco turned around and looked surprised to see Silver running after him, calling his name.  
  
"Draco," she panted as she caught up with him, "You...called...me...a half- blood."  
  
"Yeah, so?" he answered.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione caught up with their wands drawn out – just in case.  
  
"Draco," she said, "_Why_?"  
  
"You don't know what a mudblood is?" he scoffed.  
  
"Of course I do! Draco, it's because of my father, isn't it? Isn't it?" she asked excitedly.  
  
"Yeah, your father's a mudblood..." Draco said, looking confused.  
  
"What's his name?" Silver asked eagerly.  
  
"What?" Draco replied, looking even more confused.  
  
"His name, Draco, his name! What is it?" she asked, her eyes dancing with anticipation.  
  
Draco looked into her eyes suspiciously and thoughtfully. Harry knew he was wondering if he wanted to keep those eyes focused on him for a while, or just get it over with and tell her.  
  
"You don't know who your daddy is?" he finally sneered, understanding dawning in his eyes.  
  
"Draco, just tell me!" she replied impatiently.  
  
A smile spread onto his face, and Harry inwardly groaned.  
  
"You wanna know?" he asked, "Well, I'll tell you – at a price."  
  
"Anything!" she replied. Harry immediately wished she hadn't said that.  
  
Draco pointed to his lips. "Your lips...right here," he told her smugly.  
  
Silver backed up a step, looking revolted.  
  
"What? No...never...absolutely...no," she told him, shaking her head.  
  
"Well then, I guess you don't _really_ want to know, do you?" he sneered, turning on his heel and beginning to walk away.  
  
"Draco!" Silver called after him, "Please!"  
  
Draco turned with a smile. "If you're _really_ nice to me, and I mean really nice," he smirked, "Maybe."  
  
With that he turned and walked in the direction of the Slytherin common room.  
  
Silver was frustrated and upset. Her eyes welled up with tears.  
  
"He didn't tell me," she whispered, shocked.  
  
"Well, he wouldn't," Harry answered, sounding a bit like Hermione, "Not when he wants you to keep looking his way."  
  
"Harry, this is my _father_ we're talking about. It's not something to play around with like...like...that!" she said, sounding outraged.  
  
"I know it, you know it, and he _knows_ it, but that's not gonna change his mind," Harry answered.  
  
Silver bit her lip, trying to keep her tears in.  
  
"Harry," she moaned, "He knows who my father is."  
  
"I know," Harry said comfortingly, "He'll get bored of playing eventually."  
  
She didn't look very convinced that he knew anything, much less anything about her father.  
  
"I'm going to the library for a while," she said, "And I want to go alone."  
  
She looked at the three of them accusingly at this last part, and they knew she was serious.  
  
"Alright," Hermione said kindly, "We'll wait for you in the common room."  
  
Harry was about to protest, but Hermione gripped his arm tightly as she steered him away.  
  
"What'd you do that for?" he asked grumpily.  
  
"She needs to be alone, Harry," Hermione replied.  
  
They all sat on the couch in the common room, trying to figure out what to do.  
  
"It would be a lot easier if we found out who her mother is," Hermione commented.  
  
Harry snorted. "Fat chance we have of getting that out of her," he answered.  
  
"You've tried?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah, and it turned her into a human water hose," he informed her. Like Cho always was, he added to himself.  
  
Hermione sighed.  
  
"Well, doesn't she trust _us_?" Ron asked incredulously.  
  
"Don't ask her that," Harry replied, "She'll just start bawling. When she's ready to tell us, she will."  
  
Hermione gave him an approving look.  
  
"I agree with Harry," she said.  
  
"Alright, I won't ask her anything," Ron agreed.  
  
After a half an hour Silver joined them, fingering the silver locket around her neck.  
  
"What is that?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
"Well, it's the only clue I have as to my father, really," Silver replied, looking down at it, "He left it for me, and put a spell on it so my mom can't touch it without burning herself. I think he knew how she is."  
  
"It's beautiful," Hermione said, "May I see it?"  
  
Hesitantly, Silver lifted the locket up off her neck and handed it to Hermione. Hermione studied it very closely.  
  
"This is very valuable," she said at last, "How do you open it?"  
  
She was trying to force it open, and it was not budging.  
  
"I don't know," Silver answered sadly, "I don't think he ever wanted my mom to see whatever's in there. I think it may tell me who he is, even where he is, but I've never figured out how to open it – I think he wanted me to, though."  
  
"Have you tried magic on it?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, and I've tried talking to it, singing to it, begging it, everything," Silver answered, "I always hope one day it'll just spring open."  
  
Hermione handed it back, and Silver fingered it lovingly for a moment before replacing it around her neck. For a moment everybody sat in silence, wrapped in their own thoughts. It was Hermione who finally spoke, sensible to a fault.  
  
"Well, what are we doing inside on a day like this? Let's go for a walk or something."  
  
They all agreed, and by the time they got outside, they were all wearing smiles. They talked gleefully about Draco's punishment; Ron was hoping he would get kicked off the Quidditch team, but Silver protested that she desperately wanted to hit a Bludger at him and knock him off his broomstick. Silver's hand strayed to her locket again, and Hermione simply couldn't resist.  
  
"I'm sure there has to be a spell to open that!" she exclaimed, "How many have you tried?"  
  
"Well, not many," Silver admitted, "Just the basic ones that I could find in books lying around the house."  
  
"And that was probably all Dark Magic," Hermione said, "What do you all say we head to the library and find a way to open it?"  
  
Even Harry and Ron wanted to help. The foursome headed back inside to the library, and began collecting books.  
  
"Uh, would melting it work?" Ron asked as he looked through _Uncommon Spells to Solve Common Problems_.  
  
Hermione glanced over.  
  
"Ron, do you really think that trying to open a magic locket is a common problem?" she asked.  
  
"It could be," Ron protested.  
  
"I suppose," Hermione said dubiously.  
  
"Hey, what if we gave it a brain?" Harry asked mischievously.  
  
"That's just what we need," Hermione said sarcastically, "A necklace with a personality. Knowing our luck, it would run away."  
  
Harry and Ron snickered, and the girls shot them reproving looks.  
  
After a few minutes, Hermione glanced over and demanded, "Ron, _what_ are you reading?"  
  
Ron attempted to cover the title of his book, which was _Take Revenge on Your Enemies: Hexes and Jinxes They Won't Be Able to Endure!  
_  
"I really wanna hurt Malfoy," he protested.  
  
"Dumbledore's already handled the punishment, now are you going to help us look or not?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah," Ron grumbled, turning back to his other book.  
  
"Ooh," Silver said, "How about the Secret-Summoning Charm? It's supposed to reveal a magical item's secrets!"  
  
"Try it!" Hermione replied excitedly.  
  
Silver took the locket off her neck, set it on the table, pointed her wand at it, and said clearly, "_Aperio Specialis_."  
  
For a moment, the locket quivered, but then it lay just as still as before.  
  
"Hmm," Hermione mused, "Your dad must have put a countercurse on it for that charm so that your mom couldn't open it. He was a very gifted wizard."  
  
Silver beamed and put the locket around her neck once more as they continued their search.  
  
"You know, that spell could come in useful in a lot of situations," Ron said, "We should remember it."  
  
Hermione gave him a rare surprised smile. "You know Ron, you're right!" she exclaimed.  
  
Ron blushed, and Harry knew that was no spell he'd be forgetting anytime soon.  
  
"Uh," Harry said, "Here's one that's supposed to rip something in half..."  
  
"But we can't hurt the locket!" Silver exclaimed, "I've had it for forever! And I like it," she added stubbornly.  
  
"Okay, it was just an idea," Harry mumbled, turning back to his book.  
  
In three hours, they had only come across a few more possible spells, none of which had worked. Whenever the locket refused to open, Hermione became more delighted. She gushed about what a good wizard Silver's father was to have blocked the secret from so many spells.  
  
"Well, I wish he wouldn't have," Silver said, frustrated, as she slammed _Spells to Solve Any Problem_ closed. "I'm just a kid, how did he ever expect me to figure out how to open it?"  
  
"That's just it, though," Hermione said, "He must have known that you'd try, and he must have made it something so obvious that we can't figure it out."  
  
Silver sighed.  
  
"Well, it's dinnertime now, so maybe we'll look some other time," she said.  
  
"Maybe we should just think about it for a while," Hermione suggested, "It has to be so easy that we're overlooking it."  
  
Harry was doubtful, and he wasn't the only one. Silver looked very put out about the whole thing, and he was certain that she just wanted to forget about the locket's secret for a while. Ron, however, was hanging on Hermione's every word, nodding as she spoke.  
  
"Maybe," Hermione continued, "He did something else, too, like the secret can only be revealed on a full moon, or in winter."  
  
Silver groaned. "In that case, how did he ever expect me to open it?"  
  
"I'm telling you, it's something simple," Hermione insisted.  
  
Over dinner, Ginny came up to them, beaming.  
  
"Silver, you are absolutely brilliant for what you did to Draco!" she exclaimed.  
  
"How did you know about that?" Silver asked, surprised.  
  
"The _whole school_ knows, Silver," Ginny replied, "You're a hero! Except for with the Slytherins, of course..."  
  
Truthfully enough, the entire Slytherin table was glaring at Silver, making her cringe uncomfortably, whilst the Gryffindor table was shooting her awed looks and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were giving her encouraging smiles.  
  
"Great," Silver sighed, "And we have Double Potions with them tomorrow."  
  
"They won't do anything to you," Ron answered, "Especially in front of Snape."  
  
Silver didn't look to sure, and personally, Harry wasn't either, but he didn't say anything. Halfway through dinner, Silver announced that she was no longer hungry and was going to the common room. Harry watched her carefully as she made her way out of the Great Hall, making sure no Slytherins were following her, but nothing eventful happened.  
  
"They're really bugging her, aren't they?" Hermione asked, "The way they're looking at her."  
  
"Well, Slytherins are always like that," Ron replied, "They've just directed their sour faces in her direction."  
  
They walked into the common room to be greeted by complete silence. Neville put his finger to his lips as they walked in and motioned towards the couch. Harry smiled as he looked over to see Silver sleeping peacefully on the couch. Her hair cascaded over the edge of the couch, and he was compelled to go and give it a tug. She was clasping her locket tightly in her hand.  
  
Exchanging smiles, the trio sat down near her and whispered to each other, waiting for her to wake up. The hours passed by, however, and Silver didn't awaken.  
  
"We should wake her up," Hermione suggested as she stifled a yawn, "I'm ready for bed."  
  
"Me too," Ron agreed, standing up with her.  
  
"No, I'll wait a while longer," Harry answered, glancing at her.  
  
Hermione raised her eyebrows.  
  
"I'll wake her up in a half hour if she doesn't wake up," he promised.  
  
Hermione and Ron went to bed, and Harry looked over at Silver, who didn't look like he was waking up anytime soon. He then looked into the fire, watching as the flames danced higher and higher...it was mesmerizing...  
  
"Harry," he heard.  
  
He turned in his chair, not wanting to wake up. He heard Silver laugh.  
  
"Wake up, Harry," she urged.  
  
He opened his eyes and looked up into her face. She was smiling down at him.  
  
"I was supposed to wake you up," he informed her groggily.  
  
She giggled. "Sorry," she apologized.  
  
Harry realized that it was very dim in the room, and discovered that the fire was almost out.  
  
"Night," he murmured as he made his way toward the boys dorms.  
  
"Night, Harry," she replied, "Sweet dreams."  
  
He smiled, but was too sleepy to reply. He fell into bed, still smiling, without bothering to clear his mind.  
  
He had a dream that he was out on the Quidditch field, about to play Slytherin. He couldn't seem to find Silver, and the whole team was in an uproar.  
  
"Look!" Angelina cried, "There she is! She's playing for Slytherin today!"  
  
Harry looked over to see Silver in green and silver Slytherin robes. Her locket was hanging down over the robes, and she was hanging on Malfoy's arm. He stalked over to her.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked.  
  
"Malfoy wanted me to play for him," she replied, smiling up at Malfoy sickeningly, "And how could I say no?"  
  
"You're in Gryffindor, though," Harry protested.  
  
"I've switched to Slytherin," she replied.  
  
"But...you can't do that!" he said.  
  
"Harry, just go away!" she snapped, "My father doesn't like you anyway!"  
  
"What?" he asked, "But who's your father?"  
  
Crabbe and Goyle began to carry him away. He kicked and fought, but couldn't get loose. As he watched, Silver turned to Malfoy, smiling, and Malfoy bent down to kiss her.  
  
Harry woke up before their lips touched...thank goodness, he wouldn't have been able to live with that picture in his mind. He rolled over so that he was facing his pillow, reminding himself that it was only a dream. He didn't realize that for once, he had had a normal dream – one not remotely concerning Voldemort.  
  
He drifted back off to sleep thinking about the locket and it's secrets. There had to be a way to figure out what it was hiding...there just had to.


	15. Advancing in Occlumency

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Reviewers: **I just love you guys! Reviews make me so happy...lol.

---------------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 15 – Advancing in Occlumency**  
  
"Harry, today we will be practicing without the use of the Pensieve," Dumbledore announced.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, looking around the room to make sure the Pensieve wasn't there.  
  
"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore said, "You've been very successful lately, and it's time you gave it a try."  
  
Harry inwardly groaned. It was only a month and a half until Christmas, and Dumbledore was choosing now to plague his mind.  
  
"Can't we wait until after Christmas?" he pleaded.  
  
"No, Harry," Dumbledore replied firmly.  
  
Harry slumped in his seat. The last thing he had wanted when things were going so well was to be tortured by the memory of Sirius.  
  
"Come, Harry, let's get started," Dumbledore told him cheerfully.  
  
Harry reluctantly followed him to the empty section of floor...hard floor...that they always practiced on.  
  
"On three," Dumbledore announced, "One..."  
  
_There's no way I'm going to be able to do this._  
  
"Two..."  
  
_I don't want to do this._  
  
"Three. _Legilimens_!"  
  
Memories flashed before Harry, but he saw Dumbledore's figure before him and sought to get to it. _Quick_, he thought, _before I have to see it..._ But just when he thought he could manage to evade it, he saw it. Sirius was grinning at his cousin, taunting her. "Is that the best you can do?" _No_, Harry thought ruefully as Dumbledore faded away, _It wasn't_. Sirius began to fall, and a thousand emotions overcame Harry.  
  
"SIRIUS!" he bellowed, running forward toward his godfather as if he were really there, "SIRIUS!"  
  
His legs suddenly failed him as guilt and sadness coursed through him, and he fell to his knees and watched as Sirius fell through the veil. The smile had not completely left his face...  
  
Harry was plunged into darkness.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore was saying, "Harry, wake up."  
  
Harry rolled over and pressed himself against the floor hoping to somehow fall through it...to get away. He didn't want to see it, he didn't want to realize that it had been lurking in the back of his thoughts for a long time now. He didn't want to know that he had been stubbornly avoiding the fact that Sirius had ever existed. He didn't want to go back to having a constant pain in his chest, a hole in his heart. If he could just forget about it, just not have to think about it...  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore said, "You can't escape it. It doesn't work that way."  
  
Harry didn't move. If he just lay there long enough, he could forget about it. Dumbledore just needed to stop talking, to stop reminding him of it. _Think of something else_, he told himself, _anything else_. But he saw Sirius again and again, heard his words echoing in his head.  
  
Harry groaned and clutched at his head as he rolled back over to face Dumbledore.  
  
"I don't want this," he told him, "I want to forget."  
  
"No, Harry," Dumbledore said gently, "You can't think that way."  
  
Harry felt the familiar feeling of a lump in the back of his throat. _Not tears again_, he thought, _not again..._ But they flowed over, and Harry rolled back over once more to face the floor. He didn't want to get up. Getting up would mean he would have to do this again, and again.  
  
"Get up, Harry," Dumbledore said, "Come sit down."  
  
_Sirius would want me to_, he thought, _Sirius would do it if he were me_. Slowly, he got to his feet, letting the tears pour down his face without actually crying. But he didn't go and sit down – he was sure Sirius wouldn't have. He sucked up his grief and remorse.  
  
"Again," he said, forcing the word out. To him, it didn't sound like his voice. He had to conquer this memory – for Sirius.  
  
_Sirius_, he thought, _This is for you_.  
  
Dumbledore didn't argue or even question Harry.  
  
"One."  
  
_I'll make you proud, Sirius_.  
  
"Two."  
  
_I won't let you down. Watch me, see what I can do!_  
  
"Three. _Legilimens_."  
  
This time Harry anticipated the memory, rather than running from it. He boredly let his other memories flash by without paying them any notice. Suddenly, there he was. Harry smiled as he watched his godfather battle. "Is that the best you can do?" he taunted Bellatrix. Goodbye_, Sirius_, Harry thought, _Sorry I can't stay and be with you_. He saw Dumbledore's figure and concentrated on it. Sirius began to fall backwards, almost in slow motion. Dumbledore became clearer and clearer. Sirius' head touched the veil, and suddenly the whole memory vanished. Something came out of the tip of Harry's wand and aimed itself at Dumbledore. Something that Harry had not purposely wanted to do. Suddenly he was consumed by Dumbledore's memories.  
  
He watched as a much younger Dumbledore got teased by a group of very pretty girls for being a bookworm. "Loser," one of them giggled, and the rest echoed her. Harry felt a bit angry at them for thinking of Dumbledore that way. The scene began to change. Harry recognized the outside of the Hogwarts building, and began to see a crowd of students, but suddenly he was pushed backwards. He landed on a rather hard wooden box.  
  
"Ouch."  
  
"Sorry, Harry," Dumbledore said, "I wasn't expecting you to take over like that."  
  
"Well, I didn't mean to," Harry apologized, "It just kind of happened."  
  
Dumbledore looked slightly ruffled.  
  
"That was excellent Harry, more than I had ever hoped for. Are you alright?"  
  
Harry knew Dumbledore was asking about his mental state rather than his physical one.  
  
"I think I just made Sirius proud," Harry answered. Truthfully, he didn't know whether he was alright or not, but he felt a bit of satisfaction knowing that Sirius would have been elated for him at that very moment.  
  
"Indeed you did," Dumbledore agreed solemnly.  
  
Harry didn't answer. He felt as if he had just recovered from a dementor attack, and his butt still hurt from landing on that box so hard. He then remembered what he had seen of Dumbledore's memories. He felt a bit sorry for Dumbledore, but was too busy being mad at him for taking away the Pensieve to feel too much pity. He stretched in his chair. It _had_ felt kind of good to be able to step away from the memory.  
  
"Dumbledore," Harry said quietly.  
  
"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore answered attentively.  
  
"How do I get past this?" he asked, referring to the constant pain he felt when he thought of Sirius.  
  
"My dear boy," Dumbledore said kindly, "You have already made great progress."  
  
Harry glanced up in surprise. How had he made any kind of progress? He had just broken down in tears at the memory of Sirius' death...that was called progress? Dumbledore seemed to read his mind.  
  
"Harry, you had a painful past even before Sirius had died. Last year you were withdrawing into yourself, not facing what you knew was true. But now look at you." Harry heard distinct pride in Dumbledore's voice. "You've let Lupin into your life. You haven't shut out your friends. Your teachers are all reporting that your work and concentration is excellent. You are handling your duties as Quidditch captain very responsibly. You are beginning to master Occlumency – and here you are, talking to me about the very thing you think you've made no progress in. Harry, you do not know what great progress it is for one to open oneself up."  
  
Harry supposed Dumbledore was halfway right.  
  
"But – I pushed the memory away," he protested, "I haven't been facing it."  
  
"Ah, but Harry, you just did – and you overcame it," Dumbledore reminded him.  
  
"But doesn't overcoming it mean it won't make me break out in tears every time I think of it?" Harry asked.  
  
"First of all, I would like to let you know that tears are nothing to be ashamed of," Dumbledore answered, "And secondly, I saw no tears this last time around."  
  
Harry realized that Dumbledore was right.  
  
"Yeah," he said quietly, "You're right. So what do I do now?"  
  
"Keep practicing Occlumency, for one," Dumbledore answered, "Other than that, keep doing exactly what you are right now."  
  
Harry nodded. It sounded doable.  
  
"So are we going to go again?" he asked.  
  
"Do you feel ready to go again?" was the kind reply.  
  
Harry nearly replied with a defiant, "Yes!" but he knew, in the pit of his stomach, that he wasn't.  
  
"No," he replied, "I suppose I should just rest a while."  
  
"Very good," Dumbledore said approvingly, "We'll give it half an hour."  
  
Harry fell into silence. He felt the nagging pain in his chest, he wanted Sirius to be there. _Sirius_, he moaned inwardly, _Why did you have to go? Why..._ He closed his eyes and memories of his godfather overcame him. He thought first of the picture of the handsome and haughty young boy he had seen in Snape's memory the last year, and then of the man in his parent's wedding picture, whose eyes had been so alive, so full of life and happiness. Then he thought of the ragged Sirius, with a laugh like a raspy bark, and those haunted eyes. The Sirius sailing away on Buckbeak with a smile on his face compared to the one that had stormed through the Black house, frustrated at not being able to do anything for the order. And then, Sirius in battle – the only place he was truly alive. In his godfather's last moments, the haunted look he had acquired from Azkaban had faded, and true happiness and anticipation had taken it's place. _He never would have been happy_, Harry realized, _not unless he could get out of that blasted house and do what he wanted to do. And that wouldn't have happened unless he was proven innocent_. Harry closed his eyes and pressed his hands over them. There were so many _what if_'s...and many more _if only_'s. They kept his mind tossing and turning recklessly, but he knew that he shouldn't be dwelling on them. He glanced up at the clock. Twenty-five minutes was close enough to half an hour.  
  
"I'm ready," he announced.  
  
Dumbledore nodded and they stood up and walked to the center of the room.  
  
It took Harry two tries to block Dumbledore, but then he successfully did it three times (which was three times more than Dumbledore had wanted to try). After the third time, he sank down to the floor, feeling as if all the energy was drained out of him permanently.  
  
"You've done very well, Harry," Dumbledore praised, "Better than I ever would have expected. We will be done for the day, but you can stay here for as long as you like to regain your energy. I will be summoning Professor Snape into the room to discuss some possibilities for your Occlumency lessons in the future. You may give us any suggestions you wish."  
  
Harry's mind reeled. Was he going to have to have Snape give him Occlumency lessons again? He looked up at Dumbledore earnestly.  
  
"No, Harry," Dumbledore chuckled, "Professor Snape will not be giving you Occlumency lessons again. But he is a talented Occlumens...greater than myself, I might add, and he will have some good suggestions for you."  
  
Harry personally thought that Snape wouldn't want to give him and his Occlumency lesson the time of day, but didn't say anything as Dumbledore threw some Floo Powder into the fire, knelt down, and stuck his head in. Harry couldn't hear the conversation, but it was relatively short. Dumbledore emerged looking excited.  
  
"Professor Snape and Miss Riddle will be joining us shortly," he announced.  
  
"Um, since when does Snape have a fireplace in his room?" Harry asked.  
  
"It is in his storage room," Dumbledore replied, "I require all the teachers to have a fireplace so that I may get ahold of them whenever I wish. Most of them are hidden, however."  
  
Harry was too tired to question the whereabouts of them. He leaned back in the fluffy armchair and prayed for energy.  
  
"Professor Snape will also be bringing you a potion that should give you energy and help you to focus," Dumbledore told him, "And I suggest you thank him for bringing it in, since the particular potion takes a good while to brew, and he did it without being ordered to."  
  
_Silver probably told him to_, Harry thought. He just couldn't see Snape going to any lengths for him of his own accord.  
  
Soon enough, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Silver's laugh could be heard, ringing clearly and sweetly through the corridor. Harry felt a bit more awake when he heard it. Soon Snape and Silver arrived. Silver gave him an encouraging sort of smile, and Snape grudgingly held out a vial of glowing purple potion – the same one he had given him after Harry had thrown up in his classroom. Harry drank it eagerly. The cold, fruity taste awakened his senses. He felt electricity flowing through his body, and both his vision and hearing sharpened.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said, feeling much more alive than he had previously.  
  
Snape observed him emotionlessly.  
  
"Is he always that tired after lessons?" he asked Dumbledore.  
  
"Oh, no," Dumbledore assured him, "We just practiced without the use of the Pensieve today, and I believe it was a bit trying on him."  
  
Silver gave him a worried glance, but he smiled reassuringly at her.  
  
"How'd he do?" Snape asked.  
  
"He was overcome three times, but blocked it four," Dumbledore replied, "He even managed to turn the tables on me his second try."  
  
Snape looked surprised. He looked at Harry appraisingly, as if wondering whether Dumbledore was lying or not.  
  
"So, Severus, as it seems that after Christmas sometime Harry will be ready to move up to the next level of Occlumency – practicing the spell on others."  
  
Harry looked surprised, and he was not the only one. Snape did as well.  
  
"But, Headmaster, he will not be able to successfully enter into either of our minds," he replied.  
  
"Yes, exactly," Dumbledore agreed, "I was wondering if you knew of any students and their parents who would be willing to volunteer for Harry to work on. Preferably, they will have had a little or no experience in Occlumency before, but are strong-willed enough to block him if he does not perform the curse strongly enough."  
  
Snape looked deep in thought. "Molly would never agree to it," he said, "Perhaps Granger's parents would agree, since they do not know the extent of what it will be getting her into?"  
  
"No, Severus, I do not want to take advantage of anyone," Dumbledore replied, "We need someone like..."  
  
"Me!" Silver interrupted.  
  
Both adults and Harry turned to look at her, speechless.  
  
"What, you don't think I'm strong-willed enough?" she asked, eyes flashing dangerously.  
  
"Well, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore replied, "I do not think that at all. But you have a particularly painful past. You do realize that Occlumency..."  
  
"Yes, I know all about Occlumency from what Harry and Professor Snape have told me," she replied.  
  
Snape and Dumbledore exchanged glances.  
  
"Well, Miss Riddle, I will allow you, seeing as you're so determined and you're the only student whom I think fits the description, on one condition," Dumbledore said, "You will practice Occlumency with Severus so that you have the choice of blocking Harry if the memories become too painful, or too private."  
  
Snape nodded his agreement. "And then..."  
  
"Harry will attempt to break into our minds," Dumbledore finished.  
  
Both adults looked at Harry, neither of them looking particularly anxious of the day Harry would try to see their worst memories. Snape looked as if he intended to kill Harry before that happened.  
  
"So," Dumbledore said rather suddenly, making the other three jump, "Does anyone feel like ice cream?"  
  
"Ooh," Silver replied, "Yes, please!" "Sure," Harry answered.  
  
"Erm..." Snape began.  
  
"Severus, I really insist you stay," Dumbledore interrupted before Snape had a chance to refuse.  
  
"Yes, please stay," Silver echoed.  
  
Snape looked resigned. "Alright," he said, looking none too happy about it.  
  
Dumbledore reached over and picked up a small silver bell. He made sure it rang exactly four times, and then set it down. Almost immediately four house elves appeared carrying bowls of ice cream. Dumbledore's had a cherry on top.  
  
"Oh, I see, _you_ get a cherry," Silver teased once the house elves left.  
  
"Yes, it is one of the many perks of being headmaster – actually, it is the main reason I took the job," Dumbledore replied.  
  
Silver laughed, and Harry grinned. He wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to be telling the truth. Snape looked mildly amused.  
  
Harry watched as Silver took a polite-sized spoonful of hers and watched in amusement as Harry and Dumbledore took the biggest scoops they could fit into their mouths. Snape didn't touch his.  
  
"Aren't you going to eat yours?" Silver prompted.  
  
"Guess so," was Snape's reply. He reluctantly spooned some into his mouth as Harry and Dumbledore continued to compete to see who could fit the biggest scoop into their mouths and still manage to swallow it. In the end, both of them had headaches.  
  
"Goodness," Dumbledore said as he rummaged around in his desk drawers, "That really can be a painful game, can't it, Harry?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry grunted, holding his head.  
  
Dumbledore offered him some red potion in a small cup, and Harry gratefully accepted it. It made the headache go away immediately.  
  
"I find that happens quite often when one eats ice cream, so I always have a supply handy," Dumbledore informed them, much to Silver's amusement.  
  
After Silver had finished hers, Dumbledore glanced at the clock.  
  
"Well, children, it's time for you to be getting to your dorms," he instructed.  
  
"Alright," Harry agreed, "Bye."  
  
"Bye Professor Dumbledore," Silver said cheerfully. She then threw her arms around Snape's neck and gave him a sweet, "Bye."  
  
"Bye," Snape grumbled, trying to look as if he hadn't liked the hug in the least. He didn't succeed.  
  
Harry and Silver ran down the stairs, racing each other. Silver jumped off the fourth to the last one and landed at the same time as him, although she insisted she had landed first. Harry argued playfully with her all the way back to the common room, where she left him with a hug and a "Night, Harry." This time he managed to reply with, "G'night. Sweet dreams!"  
  
He walked to the dorms still savoring the sweet smile she had given him when she turned around at the top of the stairs.


	16. Home for Christmas

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or items. (or anything else that she may own that I do not...)

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 16 – Home For Christmas**  
  
"HARRY!"  
  
Harry jumped at the sound of his name. He and Silver were in the library, finishing an essay for History of Magic.  
  
"HARRY, SILVER, _LOOK_!" Ron bellowed, waving a sheet of paper in the air as he ran toward them. He thundered into the library and handed them the paper, yelling, "Look! Look! The greatest thing _ever_!"  
  
Madam Pince, however, promptly appeared at their side, looking furious.  
  
"I will not have this in my library!" she screeched, "Out! OUT!"  
  
"Ron," Silver complained, "We were doing our homework in there."  
  
"So what? It doesn't matter, nothing matters! Read it!" he replied excitedly.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Harry looked down at the sheet of paper in his hands. He held it slightly to the side so that Silver could read it, as well.  
  
_Attention All Students:  
  
Due to some changes in school policies, this year Christmas break will be extended. It will now last from December 19th until January 8th. Please make arrangements in advance for this. A letter has been sent home to each of your parents. Students staying at Hogwarts this Christmas..._  
  
Harry didn't read the rest.  
  
"An extra week?" he exclaimed, "That makes Christmas break a month long!"  
  
"Professor McGonagall told Hermione that it had to do with some stuff for the Order," Ron replied, "But she wouldn't say what. Not that it matters! We get a whole extra week off for break!"  
  
Harry grinned at the thought of keeping Lupin company in the old Black house. He couldn't wait to see how much they had gotten it fixed up.  
  
"Order stuff?" Silver echoed, "I wonder what it is. Let's go see!"  
  
"But what if we interrupt Dumbledore?" Ron asked, "We can just wait until Harry's next Occlumency lesson with him..."  
  
"No, that's next Monday, and I wasn't talking about Dumbledore anyhow," Silver replied.  
  
"Not the old _git_?" Ron groaned.  
  
"He's not a git, and you don't have to come," Silver answered, setting off toward the dungeons.  
  
Ron followed her and Harry anyway.  
  
"Can't we go see McGonagall or something?" he insisted.  
  
"_You_ can go see whomever you wish," Silver answered smartly.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes, but kept quiet. Harry grinned. He knew there was no way they could talk her out of going to visit Snape.  
  
Silver pushed the door to Snape's dungeon open and Harry saw a look of disappointment cross over her face.  
  
"He's not here," she said, a pout beginning to form on her face.  
  
Ron tried not to look too happy.  
  
Suddenly Silver began to walk further in.  
  
"Where are you going?" Ron hissed.  
  
Silver walked up to the board and tapped it three times with her wand before muttering something that Harry couldn't hear. Immediately glowing red words appeared on the board, reading:  
  
_Gone to Dumbledore's office. The new password is Fizzing Whizbee. Be back at six._  
  
"Well, looks like we're going to have to go to Dumbledore's office anyhow," she announced.  
  
"How'd you do that?" Ron asked, stunned at the message that had appeared on the board.  
  
Silver tapped the board with her wand again and the words faded.  
  
"He just put that there so I would know where he was if I ever needed him," she replied, as if this were the sort of thing Snape would normally do.  
  
Harry and Ron gaped.  
  
"So whenever he goes somewhere, he changes that just for _you_?" Ron asked.  
  
Silver glared at him. "Well, I see how important you think I am," she said haughtily, "And yes, as a matter of fact, he does."  
  
Harry and Ron exchanged astonished glances before they realized that Silver was heading off down the hallway toward Dumbledore's office. They had to run to catch up with her.  
  
"So he thinks of you, like...all the time," Ron gathered.  
  
"Nothing gets past you," Silver replied sarcastically as they arrived in front of the gargoyle, "Fizzing Whizbee."  
  
The gargoyle sprang open and the three headed up the stairs.  
  
"Where's Hermione?" Silver inquired.  
  
"Writing a letter to her parents about the longer Christmas break," Ron replied.  
  
Silver knocked on the door at the top of the staircase. After a moment, Dumbledore swept the door open for them and beckoned them in. Snape and Professor McGonagall were there, and both looked surprised by the interruption.  
  
"Hello, students," Dumbledore greeted cheerfully, "What can I do for you today?"  
  
"We wanted to know why the longer Christmas break," Silver answered, "If it had anything to do with the Order."  
  
Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall smiled. Snape looked as if he could not fathom why they would come up just to ask such a simple question. Silver walked up behind Snape's chair and put her arms around his neck. He looked embarrassed, surprised, and pleased.  
  
"Yes, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling as he watched her hug Snape, "As a matter of fact, we were just discussing that."  
  
Silver straightened and backed up a step, listening intently.  
  
"You see, the Order will be working on plans this Christmas, so we decided to give the extra week for personal business. The week before Christmas will be the only week during break the members of the Order will be at their respective houses and attending to their personal business, and the only week I have to prepare. You see, I will have to stay here during Christmas break, so I will only be sending a list of things to be covered to the members of the Order."  
  
"Oh," Silver answered slowly, the smile fading from her face, "I suppose I'm staying here the first week, too, then."  
  
"On the contrary, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore replied brightly.  
  
Silver looked up at him hopefully.  
  
"We were just discussing the matter of appointing a guardian that is a member of the Order to take you to their respective house during Christmas break. They will bring you back to headquarters with them at noon on Christmas day."  
  
Dumbledore looked up at a very hopeful looking Harry, and added, "Yes, Harry, you will be staying with Remus."  
  
Harry was elated. He really hadn't seen Lupin in a long time – the Hogsmeade weekend hadn't counted; he hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to Lupin properly then.  
  
"So...who's taking me?" Silver asked.  
  
"Well, we're not quite sure yet," Dumbledore answered slowly.  
  
Harry exchanged glances with Ron. They had both assumed that she would be going home with Snape. In a second, all of the eyes in the room were focused on Snape. He glared back at them.  
  
"Seeing as Severus can't take you..." Dumbledore began.  
  
"What?" Silver asked.  
  
"No, Silver," Dumbledore said gently, "Severus won't be taking you home."  
  
"Why?" she asked, looking confused.  
  
"Well, it doesn't fit in to his personal schedule to..." Dumbledore began, but Silver interrupted once more.  
  
She was staring at Snape accusingly and sadly.  
  
"You...you don't want me?" she asked him in a small voice.  
  
"It...It's not that," Snape said, "I just...I'm not...I can't..."  
  
"You don't want me," Silver confirmed, her eyes filling up with tears.  
  
"Silver," Snape said, almost reprovingly. He stood up, but she backed away from him, shaking her head. She turned and fled past Harry and Ron out of the room. Harry saw tears pouring down her cheeks as she went. He and Ron stayed put, both of them too astounded to go anywhere.  
  
Snape looked frustrated.  
  
"Why won't you take her, Severus?" Dumbledore inquired curiously.  
  
"Because!" Snape snapped, his patience lost when Silver left the room, "I'm not a parent! I can't be a parent! She drives me crazy as it is, worrying me half to death all the time!"  
  
Dumbledore observed Snape piercingly for a moment before replying.  
  
"So you won't take her, because you're scared you won't be able to take care of her," he said finally.  
  
"I'm not scared of anything," Snape hissed, eyes flashing with anger.  
  
"Oh, but Severus, you are," Dumbledore said, "And I won't have it. Not in this situation."  
  
Dumbledore sounded oddly stern. Snape gaped at him for a minute.  
  
"What?" he said finally.  
  
"I absolutely won't have it! You will overcome your fear and take the girl home!" Dumbledore answered, sounding angry.  
  
"I don't have any fear," Snape sneered in response.  
  
"Oh, but Severus, you can't hide it from me. No, not me," Dumbledore answered, talking faster than Harry had ever heard him talk before.  
  
Snape gave Dumbledore a venomous look. "I won't take her," he declared, "She will go with someone else and have a better time than she would have had with me."  
  
"Severus, listen to me," Dumbledore commanded, "That girl chose _you_. I never would have believed that you, who knows her situation better than anybody, would push her away when she is so _openly_ pouring her heart into you."  
  
"She is not pouring _anything_ into me!" Snape roared, "I'm an old git!"  
  
"And it's times like this I believe it!" Dumbledore replied, his voice rising as well. "However, the girl does not." Dumbledore's voice quieted back down at his last statement.  
  
Snape glared at Dumbledore but appeared unable to say anything.  
  
"Severus, it's simple really," Dumbledore continued, "Just as _you_...yes, you...have the power to open up her future, it is she that has the power to unravel your past. Deny it you may, but you belong to each other."  
  
"I don't 'belong' to anybody," Snape hissed back. He spun on his heel and left the room.  
  
Dumbledore sighed and dropped into his chair.  
  
"After all the fuss he put into being with her every waking moment during guard duty, you'd think he'd jump at the opportunity," he commented, his blue eyes half angry, half amused.  
  
He glanced up at Ron and Harry.  
  
"Please go get Silver and tell her I wish to have a word with her right now. Do not leave her until she comes," he instructed.  
  
The two nodded and walked out of Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Where do you reckon she went?" Ron asked.  
  
"Well, she wouldn't go to the common room or to the dorms," Harry said carefully, "Because she wouldn't want to be seen or bothered. I bet she's hiding in the library somewhere."  
  
"What an old git," Ron said angrily, "He had to have known he was going to hurt her, he had to have!"  
  
Harry agreed but didn't say anything. He was wondering why Snape would do something like that.  
  
The two made their way to the library, where Madam Pince gave them several suspicious looks as they walked through the racks. Suddenly they heard a sniffle coming from the corner of the room. Exchanging glances, the hurried over. Silver was sitting with her arms around her knees and her head resting on top of them, sniffling.  
  
"Hey," Harry said, sitting down beside her.  
  
"Harry, _nobody_ wants me," she sobbed.  
  
"Yes they do," he soothed.  
  
She shook her head and continued to cry.  
  
"Come on," he said, taking her arm, "Dumbledore wants to talk to you."  
  
She stubbornly resisted.  
  
"Snape's not there," Ron told her.  
  
She reluctantly allowed herself to be led back to Dumbledore's office.  
  
When they arrived, Professor McGonagall was gone. Harry gently pushed her down into a fluffy armchair.  
  
"Silver," Dumbledore said.  
  
She refused to meet his gaze.  
  
"Silver, I need to know that you are listening to me," Dumbledore said nonthreateningly.  
  
She began to sob anew.  
  
"No...Nobody...w...wants...me," she sobbed.  
  
"Silver, please look at me," was Dumbledore's patient reply.  
  
Silver sniffled up her tears and looked up at him.  
  
"Severus _does_ want you, my dear," Dumbledore said, holding out a tissue, "But he's scared."  
  
"Of...what?" she sniffed, not using the tissue.  
  
"Well, to put it frankly, you," Dumbledore answered.  
  
"M...me?" she repeated.  
  
"He doesn't think he'll be able to take care of you," Dumbledore explained.  
  
Silver burst into sobs once more as she replied. "W...well he c...can," she cried, "I'll b...be r...really good."  
  
"I know," Dumbledore told her, "Believe me, I do."  
  
Silver continued to cry for a good ten minutes before quieting down to random sniffles. Harry put his hand on her shoulder, but she didn't even seem to realize it was there.  
  
"Silver," Dumbledore said gently, "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's not you," she replied, her voice and gaze distant, "It's me. Nobody is ever going to be able to love me, are they?"  
  
"Silver," Dumbledore chided, "There are many people who love you."  
  
"No," she replied, still sounding as if she were in some other world, "They're just saying that...waiting until they can hurt me. But it's okay. I don't need anyone. Nobody."  
  
"I don't want you thinking that," Dumbledore scolded, "Because it's not true."  
  
Silver didn't reply. She seemed to be drawing herself in, leaving only a shell of what she had been just an hour ago.  
  
"Silver?" Harry asked hesitantly.  
  
"Yes?" she replied, her voice oddly hollow. She didn't smile, but neither did she frown. Her face was utterly emotionless.  
  
"This is what I was afraid of," Dumbledore said quietly.  
  
Suddenly the door burst open. Snape was standing there, looking as if he might bite all their heads off at any moment.  
  
"Silver," he said.  
  
She looked up at him, and her essence came pouring back. Rather than looking emotionless, she now looked as though she were going to burst into tears.  
  
"I've changed my mind," he announced, "You will be coming home with me for Christmas."  
  
He turned to Dumbledore. "Any other plans you've made for her, you will just have to cancel," he announced, as if he had been cheated out of getting a chance to take her home.  
  
A smile spread over Dumbledore's face. Silver looked up at Snape questioningly, and he looked back down at her, the menace gone from his face.  
  
"Because I _do_ want you," he admitted, looking as if he were trying very hard not to show how attached he was to her.  
  
Slowly, a smile lit her features. She jumped up from her chair and threw her arms around him.  
  
"Thank you," she breathed, "I promise I'll be really, really good, and I won't disappoint you, or disobey you, and I'll do anything you want me to. I promise."  
  
Snape looked as if he were about to reply, but he glanced briefly up at them and then said, "We'll discuss it later." He then looked up at Ron and Harry, as if daring them to repeat what they had just witnessed to anybody.  
  
"Alright," she replied breathlessly, squeezing him so tightly Harry was surprised he could still breathe.  
  
"Off you go now," he told her, trying to sound annoyed. She nodded and walked down the stairs, followed by Harry and Ron. She didn't say anything until they passed the gargoyle.  
  
"Somebody _wants_ me!" She sounded amazed and happy at the same time.  
  
"Yeah," Ron sniggered, "But he'd never admit it in public. Did you see the look on his face, Harry? He totally didn't want us to see what a softie he is!"  
  
Harry couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"Now, you two, don't go..." she began.  
  
"Don't worry, we won't tell anyone how parental Snape can be," Ron assured her, "Except for Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George."  
  
Silver rolled her eyes and Harry laughed.  
  
"So," he teased, "Are you actually going to be _good_?"  
  
Her eyes widened. "Am I really that bad all the time?" she asked worriedly.  
  
He laughed. "I was just kidding!" he exclaimed.  
  
She looked relieved. "Good, because I already try hard to stay out of trouble," she replied.  
  
Harry and Ron both burst out laughing.  
  
"Doesn't work very well, does it?" Ron asked, "Whether you're sneaking out of Snape's class or going for a casual stroll through Hogsmeade, you somehow end up in trouble all the time."  
  
Silver glared at him. Then, she suddenly looked worried all over again.  
  
"I haven't bought him a Christmas present!" she exclaimed, alarmed.  
  
"I don't think he's used to getting them anyway," Ron replied, which earned him a venomous look from Silver.  
  
"Why don't you make him one?" Harry suggested.  
  
"I can't _make_ anything," Silver answered, "But you said you knew a secret way to Hogsmeade, didn't you?"  
  
"No," Harry answered firmly, "You are not going to Hogsmeade and risking your neck just to get Snivelly a Christmas present!"  
  
"Don't call him that, and yes I am!" she answered stubbornly.  
  
"Fine, go ahead and try," he answered, "But you're not getting any information out of me."  
  
She scowled at him and refused to look at him the rest of the way. He ignored her. He was not going to tell her how to get into Hogsmeade – he knew it would only result in trouble, if not danger. Her good mood returned when they arrived in the common room, where Hermione was waiting for them.  
  
"Hermione, I have a home for Christmas!" she exclaimed happily before bouncing off in another direction while Ron and Harry filled her in.  
  
After they had finished explaining, Harry looked over to see Silver folding up a letter.  
  
"I'm going to go down to the Owlry to get this delivered," she informed them innocently, "I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
They all dismissed this as normal, when suddenly Ron asked, "Wait a minute – who does she have to write to?"  
  
When Silver returned, that was the first thing they asked her.  
  
"Just somebody," she replied, "What does it matter?"  
  
"It matters because you have a knack for getting into trouble nearly as bad as mine," Harry answered.  
  
"Harry, I wouldn't go doing anything dangerous," she informed him in a voice that was too full of sugary-sweetness.  
  
He regarded her suspiciously for a moment, and then suddenly heard snatches of Ron and Hermione's conversation.  
  
"I'll, well, really miss you," Ron was saying.  
  
"That's so sweet, Ron, I'll miss you too," Hermione gushed back in a voice most unlike her own.  
  
"I'll write you every day."   
"I'll write you twice a day."   
"And you'll try and come back to headquarters the last two weeks?"   
"Of course."  
  
"Is it just me, or are they not arguing?" Harry asked Silver.  
  
Silver grinned. "Let's just say somebody can't wait to stand under the mistletoe together," she replied.  
  
"Ron's never told me anything," Harry said, feeling a bit left out.  
  
"Well, have you been telling him every little thing that happens between you and me?" Silver inquired.  
  
Harry remembered that as far as Ron knew, he and Silver had only hugged once and stared at each other a lot. He was sure Ron _suspected_ something had happened between them, but he didn't really know.  
  
"Uh, not exactly," he admitted.  
  
"Well, there you have it," she told him.  
  
He frowned. "Guess I'll talk to him tonight," he muttered.  
  
"Good, you two need to talk," Silver replied, "Almost as much as I need to get some sleep. I'm going to bed, night!"  
  
"Sleep tight," he replied playfully.  
  
She giggled. "Don't let the bedbugs bite!"  
  
"I forget the rest," he informed her.  
  
She grinned. "How about a 'sweet dreams', then?"  
  
"Sweet dreams, Silver," he obliged eagerly.  
  
She beamed at him. "Sweet dreams, Harry," she replied, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek before walking up the stairs.  
  
Harry grinned long after she disappeared into the girl's dorms.


	17. Going Home

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items...ect. The only thing I do claim rightfully as mine is my character, Silver Riddle. :)

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 17 – Going Home  
**  
Students were in a complete uproar the last week at Hogwarts. The fact that they were getting out a week early was reason for celebration, which meant many dungbombs, fireworks, and the like. Filch could be seen giving out detentions for things like "looking suspicious" or "whispering too quietly". Hardly anybody showed up for their detentions, however, and there was nothing he could do about it. Harry and Ron had already been presented with two detention slips for "laughing suspiciously" when they looked at Filch, and Silver was quick to present to them the fact that she hadn't gotten one yet ("See, I am good!") Hermione had even received one for looking curiously at Filch one day when a lot of dungbombs had been set off near him and he smelt rather bad.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the common room playing Exploding Snap.  
  
"Where's Silver?" Hermione asked suddenly.  
  
"Uh," said Ron, concentrating on the game, "She said she was going down to the Owlry like an hour ago, didn't she?"  
  
"An hour ago?" Hermione and Harry echoed in unison.  
  
They exchanged worried glances.  
  
"Let's go look for her," Harry suggested.  
  
"Yeah, I'm thinking it takes less than an hour to deliver a letter," Hermione agreed.  
  
"Maybe," Ron admitted. They crawled out of the portrait hole and began to walk towards the Owlry. No sooner had they turned a corner than they came across a happy-looking Silver. She immediately attempted to hide a bag behind her back.  
  
"Hi, guys," she said innocently.  
  
"What's that?" Harry answered suspiciously.  
  
"Nothing," she said evasively, attempting to squeeze past them. They stood in her way, however, and she frowned at them.  
  
"Well, let's see it then," Ron prompted.  
  
She reluctantly took the bag out from behind her back.  
  
"How'd you get a Hogsmeade bag?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
"Well...it was kinda just handed to me..." she said, doing her best to tell the truth.  
  
"Over the counter when you went shopping?" Harry inquired.  
  
"Maybe..."  
  
"You went to Hogsmeade!" Hermione exclaimed, "Silver!"  
  
"Just really quick," she said hurriedly, "I had to get Christmas presents for everybody!"  
  
"Oh, so you got some for us?" Ron asked, as if that made it all right.  
  
"Yep," she replied, smiling, "So will you let me through now?"  
  
"No," Harry answered, "I don't care about any dumb presents when you just risked your life!"  
  
"No I didn't, Harry, this time I really did go disguised!" she protested, "I put a scarf around my face so only my eyes were showing, and I wore my dress robes so nobody would know I was from Hogwarts!"  
  
"How'd you find out how to get there?" Harry replied, "You didn't steal the Marauder's Map, did you?"  
  
"Of course not!" she replied, "I just sent a letter to Fred and George asking them how to get in."  
  
Ron snorted. "What a bunch of idiots," he commented, shaking his head.  
  
Hermione giggled. "What were they thinking?" she asked.  
  
Harry scowled. "They wanted to get her killed," he replied.  
  
"I'm sure they weren't thinking of that, Harry," Silver said, "Now please move so I can go put your presents away."  
  
Reluctantly Harry stepped aside and followed her back to the common room with Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Drop the attitude, Harry," Hermione told him, "She's fine."  
  
"Yeah, but that was a dangerous thing to do, not to mention stupid," Harry answered once Silver had disappeared into the girl's dorms.  
  
"She's probably never had a proper Christmas before, Harry," Ron told him, "You can't blame her for wanting to go get presents."  
  
Harry wondered what Christmas with Death Eaters was like. "I suppose," he relented.  
  
"Put on a happy face for her, Harry, we're going home tomorrow," Hermione urged.  
  
"Alright, alright,' he grumbled.  
  
It wasn't that hard to smile when he saw her coming down the stairs, her face alight with happiness. She sat down on the couch beside him, smiling.  
  
"Harry, I think this is going to be a really good Christmas," she said wistfully.  
  
"Ya think?" he replied, tugging at her hair.  
  
She grinned at him.  
  
"Yes," she replied, "It'll be my first real Christmas, you know. But I've heard all about what it's supposed to be like – you put a tree in the house and decorate it, and then you put presents underneath it, and on Christmas morning, you open them...right?"  
  
"I suppose that about sums it up," Harry answered. He wondered if Snape was going to actually get a Christmas tree. Somehow, he could not imagine him doing so.  
  
"How's your Occlumency going?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Well...okay I suppose. Snape says I'm doing really well, but I don't know if I really am," she answered.  
  
He nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, same here," he replied. The memory of Sirius always brought him a fresh wave of grief, but also a new wave of determination. He was able to withstand it most of the time, but it drained the energy completely out of him so that he was nearly unable to move.  
  
The rest of the day was spent relaxing, and, in the end, packing. He was very excited about seeing Lupin the following day, and found it hard to clear his mind. Once he had, he wasted no time falling asleep.

-----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next morning he awoke early and excited. He jumped out of bed and woke Ron up.  
  
"Wassamatter?" Ron mumbled.  
  
"We're going home, come on!" Harry replied, nearly pushing him out of bed.  
  
"I'm comin, I'm comin," Ron answered sleepily.  
  
Harry vaulted down the stairs and into the common room, where Hermione and Silver were already chatting on the couch. He sat down next to Silver and gave her hair a playful tug.  
  
"You ready for Christmas?" he asked.  
  
She smiled. "I think so – you?"  
  
"Very ready," he answered, grinning.  
  
Breakfast in the Great Hall was a riot. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had a food fight, Ron was convinced that the Slytherins were drinking firewhisky, and the Gryffindors were the loudest bunch of the lot. Soon the whole school had taken up the chant, "Ex-tra week, ex-tra week!"  
  
Harry managed to steer Silver to the exit without getting either of them pelted by scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, or the like.  
  
She burst out laughing when they arrived in the hallway. "Wow, I didn't get any food on me!"  
  
He grinned. "Thanks to my expert steering," he reminded her.  
  
They regarded each other silently for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, she threw her arms around his neck and enveloped him in a hug. He slid his arms around her, wondering what had inspired this sudden wave of emotion.  
  
"I'm really going to miss you, Harry," she murmured.  
  
"I'll miss you, too," he replied, realizing that it was the truth.  
  
"Will you come and visit me?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Course I will," he answered.  
  
She didn't release or tighten her hold on him, she simply stayed right there, much to his delight. He tugged on her hair and she released him, smiling up at him. He grinned back down at her and bent down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. As he pulled away, he looked down at her – her eyes stayed closed for a moment, but when she opened them, they were dancing happily. He heard Dumbledore calling everyone to order back in the Great Hall.  
  
"Well," she said, "I won't be taking the train with you."  
  
He nodded. He had expected as much – Snape would never want to be trapped in a small box with students all around him.  
  
"But I can walk out with you," she continued.  
  
"Please do," he encouraged.  
  
Smiling, she walked with him out to the threstral-pulled carriages that were ready to take them to the Hogwarts Express. Harry noted that Snape was keeping a very close eye on them. Ron and Hermione said goodbye to Silver, and then left the two of them outside the carriage they had chosen.  
  
"Bye, Harry," she said, as if she weren't going to see him for a year.  
  
"Bye," he replied, looking down at her and wondering whether to kiss her again or not.  
  
She put her arms around his neck, stood on her tiptoes, and placed a sweet, although short, kiss on his lips, answering his question for him. He was grinning uncontrollably as he got into the carriage.  
  
"Harry," Ron crowed, "You should have seen the look on Snape's face when she kissed you!"  
  
"He definitely wasn't happy," Hermione agreed.  
  
"Ah well, he'll get over it," Harry replied.  
  
He looked from Ron to Hermione. Ron had filled him in on their relationship just as Harry had filled him in on his and Silver's. Harry thought they made a good couple when they weren't bickering – of course, he figured that arguing was just their way of showing that they liked each other. He noted that Ron had somehow slipped his hand into Hermione's without her objecting in the slightest. As they boarded the train, Ron and Hermione didn't let go of each other's hands, and Harry caught them sending each other mushy looks. He sighed, supposing that he would have to watch them the whole train ride in that manner.  
  
He managed to get Ron to participate halfheartedly in a Quidditch conversation once they had found an empty compartment, but it was obvious that Ron was more focused on Hermione.  
  
"Wow, it's really beautiful outside, isn't it?" Hermione commented.  
  
Immediately Ron dropped the conversation about Quidditch to look out the window and witness the beauty for himself.  
  
"Yeah, it is," he agreed.  
  
Hermione smiled warmly at him, and he blushed.  
  
Harry squirmed in his seat. It was kind of weird watching his two best friends gush over each other. He lay down on his seat and closed his eyes. Sleep didn't come, but he was able to successfully block out most of Ron and Hermione's conversation...which had to do with how much they would miss each other...  
  
He suddenly jumped up at the sound of a familiar snicker echoing through the hallway. Hermione and Ron finally quit their mush, having heard it as well. Just as Harry had suspected, their compartment door slid open to reveal a smirking Draco, whom amazingly didn't seem to have Crabbe and Goyle with him...although Harry was sure they weren't far.  
  
"So, Potter, bet you think you're hot stuff, don't you?" Draco asked.  
  
"Uh, sure," Harry answered, confused.  
  
"Don't be dense, Potter. She kissed you," Draco said impatiently.  
  
"Oh, right, that," Harry said, realization passing over his face. After a moment he added "You came here just to let me know that she kissed me?"  
  
Ron sniggered.  
  
Draco sneered at him sarcastically. "Very funny. I just wanted to let you know that next time, she'll be kissing me."  
  
Harry snorted. "Yeah, sure she will."  
  
"Harry, Harry, Harry," Draco said in mock thoughtful tones, "You're forgetting that I have something you don't. While you may have a scar on your forehead..."  
  
"That's not why she kissed me!" Harry exclaimed indignantly.  
  
"Sure it isn't," Draco smirked, "Anyway, while you may have a scar on your forehead, I have a piece of information that seems to be very valuable to her...her father's identity."  
  
"Shove off, Malfoy," Harry told him angrily, "The day she kisses you is the day Crabbe and Goyle pass a class."  
  
Ron sniggered again, and even Hermione giggled.  
  
Draco sneered at them. "Just you wait, Potter," he said, "Just you wait."  
  
He turned and left, and Harry mimicked, "Just you wait, Potter," in a high falsetto.  
  
"What a load of hogwash," Ron said, shaking his head.  
  
Harry felt slightly uncomfortable. What if Draco was right? Silver did seem to really want to know her father's identity...  
  
"Harry, you don't believe him, do you?" Hermione asked, having been observing him.  
  
"No," Harry replied in a very unconvincing tone.  
  
"Silver wants him to shove off as much as you do, Harry," Ron chimed in, "Don't let him get to you."  
  
"He's not getting to me!" Harry replied angrily, turning and facing out the window. They didn't dare argue with him.  
  
Ron and Hermione were silent for the rest of the way, and Harry was thankful for it. When the train finally stopped, neither of them got up, but Harry gave them a quick "Bye!" and practically ran off the train. The first person he saw when he stepped off was Lupin. He smiled and began to walk toward him, but Mrs. Weasley ran forward and enveloped him in a hug.  
  
"How are you, dear boy? You look so nice! Where are Ron and Hermione?"  
  
"Uh, saying goodbye to each other, I think," Harry answered, straining to see Lupin over her shoulder.  
  
"Oh, how sweet!" Mrs. Weasley replied, beaming, "You have a good break now, alright?"  
  
"Okay," Harry replied as he stepped past her to meet Lupin.  
  
"Harry," Lupin greeted as Harry walked up to him.  
  
"Hi," Harry replied happily.  
  
Lupin smiled down at him, as if he wanted to hug him, but not there. Harry was glad...he could only imagine the comments Malfoy would make if he saw Harry hugging their former professor.  
  
"Let's go get your luggage," Lupin suggested.  
  
Harry nodded. "Uh, how are we getting home?" he asked as they walked to a deserted corner.  
  
"How else?" Lupin replied, "The good old Knight Bus. Of course, you may be disappointed now that Silver isn't here..."  
  
Lupin's eyes twinkled amusedly, and Harry blushed.  
  
Lupin raised his wand and in the blink of an eye, the purple bus was in front of them.  
  
"Hey, Neville...'Arry, whoever you are...where's your girlfriend?" Stan asked, peering hopefully over Harry's shoulder.  
  
"Calm down," Harry replied dryly, "She's not coming."  
  
Stan looked disappointed as he took their tickets. Seats that looked somewhat like bus seats on regular Muggle buses adorned the first floor. It was almost full, but Harry and Lupin managed to find an empty seat. Hedwig hooted concernedly – the Knight Bus was definitely not her favorite way to travel.  
  
The bus lurched into motion, pressing Harry back against his seat and then throwing him forward as the speed settled. He reached out and caught himself before he hit the back of the seat in front of him.  
  
"You okay?" Lupin asked as he braced himself with one leg.  
  
"Uh, I think so," Harry answered. The bus turned and he would have fallen off the end of the seat if Lupin hadn't grabbed his arm and yanked him back up.  
  
"Thanks," he said sheepishly.  
  
"Anytime," Lupin replied, smiling.  
  
After a few stops, the bus pulled up in front of Grimmauld Place. Harry and Lupin gratefully got off.  
  
"Wait until you see what we've done with the house," Lupin said rather excitedly as he and Harry walked up to the front door. Lupin pushed it open, and Harry could see the difference the moment he walked in. The walls had been painted a pleasant-looking tan-ish color, and they seemed to sparkle. The heads that used to line the walls were gone, although Sirius' mother's portrait still hung, covered up, a bit further down. Most of the furniture had been replaced, and the hardwood floor was now cleaned and shiny.  
  
"Wow," Harry said, impressed, as he saw that the staircase had also been fixed up. The stairs were now sporting brand new beige carpet and mahogany wooden railing.  
  
"We've only done the hallways, the staircase, the living room, and the kitchen," Lupin explained, "But when you go back to school we're going to start on the study and all the upstairs rooms."  
  
"It looks great," Harry said honestly. The upstairs was carpeted, and the walls had also been painted a sparkly tan. All of the pictures that had been upstairs were gone.  
  
Harry opened the door to his and Ron's room, and the change was remarkable. The walls were dirty and grayish, and the carpet of the floor was black, adding to the gloom. The beds looked old and worn down, and the whole room looked rather gloomy.  
  
"Makes a big difference, doesn't it?" Lupin asked, surveying the room distastefully.  
  
"Yeah," Harry replied, looking around the room with the same dislike.  
  
"Well, you must be hungry after your trip," Lupin said hopefully.  
  
Harry grinned. "Yeah, I am," he agreed.  
  
It turned out Mrs. Weasley had made sandwiches for them in the morning, and left them on the counter with a Freshness Charm to wait until they got home.  
  
"So, Harry," Lupin said after he swallowed his first mouthful, "How are things?"  
  
Harry told Lupin about everything that had happened, including Draco, Ron and Hermione, Silver, Snape, and his disturbing dream about Draco and Silver.  
  
Lupin grinned at his dream. "Well, Harry, at least it was a normal dream and not one about Voldemort," he said, "I'm sure it was just your teenage mind working up a tall tale – nothing that would happen in real life."  
  
"Yeah, well, it wasn't pleasant," Harry answered, "I would almost rather have the Voldemort dreams."  
  
Lupin chuckled. "She's that important to you, is she?"  
  
Harry didn't answer. He supposed so, which only made him feel worse about the dream.  
  
"Do you get lonely here all by yourself?" Harry asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Well, not really," Lupin replied, "I have company very often, and I'm at the Weasley's a lot, so when I stay here on weekends it's a pretty good relaxation time. When I do get lonely, I have plenty of people to go visit."  
  
Harry nodded. He was glad that Lupin wasn't bored out of his mind.  
  
"How're you doing in your classes?" Lupin asked, "Gotten an O in Potions yet?"  
  
"No," Harry grumbled, "Snape'll never give me an O, no matter if I deserve it or not. And I know I've earned it lots of times! Well, a few times, at least."  
  
Lupin chuckled. "Well, maybe he'll come around by the end of the school year."  
  
"Doubt it," was Harry's dubious reply.  
  
Lupin looked highly amused.  
  
"So, feel like going shopping for a Christmas tree this week?" Lupin asked.  
  
Harry grinned. "I'd like that," he answered.  
  
"Good," Lupin said, "I was thinking maybe we'd go on Sunday or Monday."  
  
"What about tomorrow?" Harry asked.  
  
"We have plans tomorrow," Lupin replied, "They're having an Open Market at Hogsmeade."  
  
At Harry's blank look, he quickly explained.  
  
"It's where people are free to market anything they want on the streets of Hogsmeade, from food to magical creatures they breed. There are stands and booths set up everywhere – it's really very interesting."  
  
"Sounds fun," Harry replied.  
  
"Yes, but you do have to be careful around the magical creatures...I once picked up a friendly-looking kitten who proceeded to breathe fire on me. The breeder said it was what it was supposed to do, and I must say I lost interest in cats completely afterwards."  
  
Harry laughed. "I'll be careful around the cats," he promised teasingly.  
  
Lupin laughed. "Good," he replied.  
  
"Um, do you think we could invite Silver with us tomorrow?" Harry asked, "She wanted me to visit her..."  
  
"Already taken care of, Harry," Lupin replied, "Snape and I have been in touch as of late, and they will both be joining us tomorrow."  
  
"Both of them?" Harry groaned.  
  
"Be nice to Snape, Harry," Lupin warned, "He's already promised to be nice to you."  
  
"Yeah, that probably means he'll refrain from punching me when I look at Silver," Harry answered sarcastically.  
  
Lupin laughed. "Harry, I know it doesn't seem like it to you...or really to me, but Dumbledore is convinced that Snape is changing, and I trust Dumbledore."  
  
"Yeah, me too," Harry said, "But he can be wrong sometimes."  
  
"Yes, he can," Lupin agreed, "But I don't think he is in this case. Do you have any reason to believe so?"  
  
"Guess not," Harry replied, "He still shoots me death looks all the time, though."  
  
"Yes, well, I'm afraid that can't be helped, seeing as you bear such an uncanny resemblance to James," Lupin answered, his eyes sparkling with pride, "But he has been a bit more decent to you, hasn't he?"  
  
"I suppose," Harry sighed, "It's just hard to be nice to him when he looks at me like he wants me dead, you know?"  
  
Lupin chuckled. "I know, Harry," he said, "Just remember that Silver loves him, and she would want you to be decent to him, at the very least."  
  
"Yeah," Harry responded, "I'll try."  
  
"Good, then," Lupin answered.  
  
They sat in silence for a while, Harry aware of Lupin's stare the whole time.  
  
"Harry," Lupin said at last, "I'm very proud of you."  
  
Harry glanced up in surprise.  
  
"Very proud," Lupin repeated.  
  
"Why?" Harry asked, wondering if he had done anything particularly good lately.  
  
"Well, it's a bit complicated. I'm not sure if I could explain it," Lupin answered, "I just wanted you to know that I'm proud."  
  
"Well...thanks," Harry replied, feeling special for no particular reason.  
  
There was another comfortable silence, but Lupin broke it once more.  
  
"Come see what we've done with the living room, Harry."  
  
Harry followed Lupin into the living room – the change was astounding. The fireplace gleamed, it's bricks no longer covered in soot and grime. The walls were the sparkly tan of the hallways and the kitchen, and the floor was the beige carpet that lined the stairs. The old, tattered couches and armchairs had been replaced with comfortable-looking ones that were a deep shade of brown. There were a few of the old pictures on the walls, but also newer ones which included a waterfall, in which a unicorn was currently drinking out of the small pond at the bottom, and a picture of a peaceful old farmhouse.  
  
"I like the new pictures," Harry commented, watching as the horses in the pasture of the farm began to gallop around, causing the cows to look up in surprise.  
  
"Me, too," Lupin said, "They're really very interesting. New animals walk into the waterfall one all the time, and occasionally the farmer comes out of the house to feed the animals."  
  
Harry watched as the unicorn pranced out of the waterfall picture, and the horses returned to grazing in the farmhouse one. He felt he could watch either of them for a very long time and not get bored in the least.  
  
"So, Harry..." Lupin said suddenly, "I never really got to say hi...well, I did, but..."  
  
Harry turned and grinned at Lupin, and accepted the hug he felt he had been deserving since they arrived home.  
  
Lupin tousled his hair as he released him. "You're something, Harry," he informed him, "Yes, you are..."  
  
Harry smiled. He liked how Lupin could make him feel special for no reason at all. He liked the fact that Grimmauld Place was starting to feel more...his. His and Lupin's. He felt very content and happy for no reason other than these.  
  
Exactly the way Sirius would have wanted it to be.


	18. Open Market

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or items.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 18 – Open Market**  
  
Harry woke up to a soft knock on his door. He grunted as he rolled over sleepily.  
  
"Up, Harry," Lupin called.  
  
Harry fumbled for his glasses and opened his eyes as he slipped them on. He heard Lupin's retreating footsteps. He sat up in bed and his tiredness melted away. He got dressed and opened the door to be surprised once more at the changes that had been made in the old house. It was like walking out into a completely different house. He ambled downstairs feeling very hungry. Lupin was standing over the stove when he walked in.  
  
"Uh, are you...cooking?" Harry asked, trying to conceal his amusement.  
  
"Just...whoops...eggs," Lupin replied. A small explosion issued from the frying pan, and Harry saw a lump of burnt eggs within it.  
  
He snorted. "I'm not eating it," he declared.  
  
"I'm insulted," Lupin replied in a mock hurt tone as he dumped the eggs into the trash can.  
  
"Yeah, well, get over it," Harry teased back.  
  
Lupin grinned. "Looks like we're going to have cereal," he informed him, "Let's see what Molly left us."  
  
Lupin rummaged through the cabinets. "Let's see, we have...urg, no, not that, it's definitely been in here too long...or...no, that looks pretty old, too..."  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"Corn flakes!" Lupin exclaimed triumphantly, holding up a box, "They're frosted!"  
  
"Sounds good to me," Harry answered.  
  
After they had finished with breakfast, Lupin told him, much to his disappointment, that they would be traveling by Floo Powder. Harry would almost rather have taken the Knight Bus.  
  
"Alright, you first," Lupin directed, holding out a pot of Floo Powder for him. Harry took a bit and threw it into the fire. He stepped into the green flames and said clearly, "Hogsmeade!" He began to spin around at an undesirably fast rate, and finally was deposited in Zonko's. He grabbed onto a nearby shelf to help keep his balance, and nearly knocked it and it's contents over.  
  
"Whoops," he said apologetically, with a glance at the shop owner, who was glaring at him from the counter.  
  
After a few seconds, Lupin arrived, stepping out of the fireplace much more gracefully than Harry had, although he was a bit wobbly for a second afterwards.  
  
"Right then," Lupin said a bit dazedly, "We're meeting them by the Shrieking Shack."  
  
He and Harry walked out of the store, and Harry found himself surrounded by what looked like a carnival, or a festival of some sort. Millions of booths lined the streets, and quite a few people milled past them.  
  
"Come on, Harry," Lupin beckoned from a few steps away.  
  
Harry hurriedly caught up with him, and they made their way towards the Shrieking Shack. The crowd dimmed as they got closer and closer, and as they walked through the small path that led to the clearing in front of the Shrieking shack, the crowd vanished completely. Soon Harry caught sight of Snape and Silver. Silver was leaning against the railing that separated the Shrieking Shack from the rest of Hogsmeade with her back to them, and he heard her voice, although he could not make out what she was saying. Snape was leaning the other way against the rail, but he hadn't seen them. He looked both menacing and harmless at the same time...something only Snape could achieve. Harry watched as he said something back to Silver that he could not make out. Then he saw them. He practically launched himself off the rail, as if embarrassed to be caught in such a vulnerable position. Silver turned to look at him questioningly, and then followed his gaze to them. She turned around, beaming at them.  
  
Harry grinned back at her. Snape glared at him suspiciously.  
  
"Hello, Silver, Severus," Lupin greeted as they neared.  
  
"Hello," Silver replied happily.  
  
"Hi," Snape grumbled.  
  
"Well, it's already a bit crowded," Lupin said, turning back towards Hogsmeade, "But not nearly as bad as it will be later today."  
  
Snape nodded curtly and began to walk with Lupin toward the festival. Silver fell into step beside Harry, a bit behind the adults.  
  
"You didn't say hi to me," she chided.  
  
"Yeah, well, Snape nearly bit my head off for looking at you," Harry mumbled, hoping Snape couldn't hear him.  
  
"No he didn't. Give him a chance," she coaxed.  
  
"I've known him for six years – you think he hasn't had chances?" he asked.  
  
She giggled. "Well, another one, then," she urged.  
  
He smiled. "For you," he relented.  
  
They arrived in a slightly more crowded Hogsmeade and Lupin became interested in one of the first booths. The owner declared that he had made a fruit that was half grape, half strawberry. It looked like a purple strawberry to Harry. Lupin, Harry, and Silver each sampled one, to find that they were quite good. It actually did taste like both a grape and a strawberry, which was odd but pleasant. Snape looked disbelieving of the whole thing.  
  
After a while of sampling different foods, all which were very bizarre, they stopped in the middle of the road.  
  
"Well, where to next?" Lupin asked brightly.  
  
Snape looked as if he would like nothing more than to go home.  
  
"Hey, look, there's a cross between a tomato and an avocado!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
Lupin wrinkled his nose. "I hate tomato," he answered.  
  
"Well, then Silver and I will –"Harry began, but he was interrupted.  
  
"Ooh!" Silver exclaimed, and she promptly began to walk towards one of the stations.  
  
The three exchanged glances and then hurried after her. She had picked up something from a cage, and she turned to them with a misty-eyed look.  
  
"Isn't he _adorable_?" she asked.  
  
Harry did a double-take at the creature in her arms. It was a baby hippogriff, roughly the size of a golden retriever puppy, and black in color.  
  
"Uh...sure...adorable," he said, watching as the tiny creature squeaked in excitement when she rubbed his forehead. _Actually, more like bizarre..._he thought to himself.  
  
Behind her, the other babies ran up to the cage and began squeaking, jumping up and down and fluttering their wings.  
  
"They want to be held," she said, handing the one she was holding to Lupin.  
  
Lupin looked surprised, and as he patted his awkwardly on the head, it squeaked and cuddled up to him.  
  
Silver handed another one to Harry, and yet another to a disgusted looking Snape.  
  
Harry's began to lick him, which he was not sure he liked, and Snape's began squealing in protest as Snape held it at arm's length, glaring at it. Silver looked over and smiled at the sight.  
  
"No," she told Snape, "You have to hold him like this."  
  
She managed to bend Snape's arms into a suitable holding position, and his hippogriff cuddled up to him happily as he glared at it.  
  
The keeper of the hippogriffs, who introduced himself as Davie, was tending to a feisty-looking one who kept swiping at him with his beak. It's feathers were a metallic silver, and it's body was dark gray with a black tail. It's hooves were a very shiny black, and it stomped them impatiently as it continued trying to bite Davie.  
  
Silver was absolutely taken by it.  
  
"I _love_ her!" she exclaimed.  
  
The baby looked over as if she had heard Silver, and then pranced up to her. Silver held out her arms and it jumped into them.  
  
"Now, watch it!" Davie exclaimed, looking concerned, "That one bites, claws, kicks...you name it, she does it!"  
  
"But she won't do it now," Silver insisted, petting the now docile baby in her arms. Finally, she turned to look at Snape with a pleading look in her eye.  
  
"No," Snape said firmly.  
  
"But she's _so_ sweet," Silver persisted.  
  
"That's a right match, too, I'd say," Davie informed Snape, "That little one has tried to destroy everyone else who's wanted to touch her, 'cept me and I suspect that's cause I feed her."  
  
"No," Snape said, handing his palomino hippogriff back to Davie, "Come on, now."  
  
Harry and Lupin handed theirs back, as well, but Silver was reluctant to surrender hers.  
  
"_Please_?" she pleaded with Snape, "I'll take really, really good care of her!"  
  
"Do you have any idea how big those things get?" Snape answered, annoyed.  
  
"Yes, but she _chose_ me," Silver insisted.  
  
"Give it back," Snape told her firmly.  
  
Silver's eyes were dangerously bright as she handed the hippogriff to Davie. Once it was out of Silver's arms, it began to squeal loudly in protest, biting, kicking, and scratching at a wincing Davie. They began to walk away when Silver stopped, listening to the hippogriff's near screams.  
  
"She wants me," she told Snape desperately, "I can't leave her!"  
  
"You will," Snape answered firmly, putting a hand on her back and steering her away. Silver's eyes were still bright as they walked away. The hippogriff's calls didn't cease, instead, Harry could swear they got louder.  
  
"You all go in there and get an ice cream," Snape told them once the calls had faded away, pointing to a pleasant-looking shop, "I have to go get some Potions supplies."  
  
He disappeared, and they went up and ordered ice cream, Lupin's treat. Silver moodily stabbed at hers, taking a small bite and putting it in her mouth and then playing with the rest in her bowl. Harry and Lupin exchanged glances.  
  
"Silver," Lupin said sensibly, "Hippogriffs are a lot of work, especially babies."  
  
"I know," she said sadly, "But she needed me."  
  
"Somebody will take her and give her a good home," Lupin told her, "So you just cheer up and start enjoying yourself – and your ice cream."  
  
Silver gave him a smile. "Alright," she agreed, as she began to truly eat her cup.  
  
Snape returned with nothing in his hands.  
  
"Couldn't find the supplies?" Lupin asked curiously.  
  
"What? Oh, no, they were...out of stock," Snape said quickly.  
  
"Really? Must've been pretty rare for them to be out," Lupin commented.  
  
"Oh yes, very rare," Snape agreed, taking a seat beside Silver.  
  
"Want some ice cream, Severus? My treat," Lupin offered.  
  
"No thanks," Snape answered. Harry was surprised that Snape had made such a polite reply.  
  
When they walked back out into Hogsmeade, the crowd was considerably thicker. It was hard to take a few steps without bumping into someone, and as a result, a lot of, "Whoops!" could be heard. They looked at a few more booths before the crowd became too thick.  
  
"Let's go back to the Shrieking Shack!" Lupin yelled amidst the noise.  
  
Snape nodded and they began to fight their way through the crowd back. Silver looked pointedly ahead when they passed the hippogriff's cage, but the silver one, who had been trying to kick down the cage, saw her and began squealing excitedly. Silver blinked hard and continued through. It didn't take long to lose the sound of the hippogriff's calls this time, thanks to the thick crowd, but Harry was sure that it hadn't stopped calling.  
  
When they finally reached the Shrieking Shack, Silver looked very upset.  
  
"The baby will be fine," Lupin reassured her, "Don't worry."  
  
She nodded, but didn't look convinced. Snape looked exasperated, but he didn't say anything to her.  
  
"Come, Severus," Lupin beckoned, "Let's talk."  
  
Snape grudgingly followed Lupin a distance away. Harry joined Silver, who was leaning against the rail like before.  
  
"You okay?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she said, "I just really felt...connected...to that one. I suppose Lupin's right, though, I probably couldn't properly care for a hippogriff."  
  
Harry agreed with her, but didn't want to say anything. He felt the need for a change of subject.  
  
"How's Snape's house?" Harry asked interestedly.  
  
"Big," she replied, "I've nearly gotten lost once already."  
  
Harry chuckled. "He's rich, isn't he?"  
  
"I suppose," she answered. Both of them were thinking back to what they had seen in Snape's vault.  
  
"The pictures in his house talk," she commented, "They don't like me, but he says it's because they don't trust me yet."  
  
"Weird," Harry answered, trying to imagine suspicious pictures.  
  
"And annoying. They start whispering to each other whenever I walk into a room, and they accuse me of trying to steal things," she answered.  
  
Harry laughed. "Sounds interesting."  
  
"A bit," she replied.  
  
He looked down at her. She was looking at the Shrieking Shack with curiosity.  
  
"You know, that's an interesting place," she said quietly, "If it could talk...I bet it would tell us about the days of the Marauders."  
  
"You know about the Marauders?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh yes, whenever Remus was on duty with me, he told me all about them," she replied.  
  
"Oh," was Harry's response.  
  
He felt a presence behind him, and turned around to see Lupin looking at him.  
  
"We should be going, Harry," he said.  
  
"Alright," Harry said, turning to Silver, "Bye."  
  
"Bye, Harry," she replied, looking as if she wanted to hug him but didn't dare do it whilst Snape was watching.  
  
He and Lupin traveled back to Zonko's in relative silence. When they passed the hippogriff cage, the silver one took no notice of them. It was attempting to fly, but couldn't manage it with it's baby wings, and as a result, looked very annoyed.  
  
"It's quite a character, that one," Lupin commented, looking at the silver bundle of energy.  
  
"Yeah," Harry said, "I think it would suit Silver, though."  
  
"No doubt you're right," Lupin agreed, "But there's nothing we can do about it."  
  
"Unless – we bought it for her," Harry prompted.  
  
Lupin looked down at him thoughtfully.  
  
"I'm not sure Snape would like it..." he said finally.  
  
"But Snape wouldn't have to take care of it!" Harry protested.  
  
"Well, let's just go see how much it costs," Lupin said reluctantly.  
  
They walked over to Davie.  
  
"Oy!" Lupin called, "How much are they going for?"  
  
"Depends on which one you're interested in," Davie replied.  
  
"That one there," Lupin answered, pointing to the silver one.  
  
"Sorry, mate, that one's taken," Davie replied, "Now this red one here, he looks like he would suit you..."  
  
"No thanks," Lupin said quickly, "We're not interested in any other one."  
  
Davie looked disappointed. "Alright, well, have a good day then," he said.  
  
Lupin and Harry resumed their walk to Zonko's.  
  
"Well, it's not so bad, is it?" Lupin asked, "Somebody's going to give that little one a good home."  
  
"I suppose," Harry answered disappointedly.  
  
They arrived at Zonko's, and Harry went first once more. This time he fell upon landing in the Black house's fireplace, but quickly got up before Lupin came.  
  
"Well," Lupin commented as they brushed soot off of themselves, "That was fun, wasn't it?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry agreed, "It was. I had no idea people could mix up so many foods."  
  
Lupin laughed. "Yeah, it's pretty amazing," he agreed.  
  
Harry took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt; they were so dirty he could hardly see out of them.  
  
"So, we're going to visit Silver and Snape again on Wednesday," Lupin informed him.  
  
"At Snape's house?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yep," Lupin answered.  
  
"Silver says it's big," Harry commented.  
  
"Oh, the Snape mansion is very big," Lupin agreed, "His father was very rich."  
  
"What happened to his father?" Harry inquired.  
  
Lupin looked a bit sad as he replied. "He's at St. Mungo's for insanity issues. He wants to beat every human being he lays eyes on. Right now he's locked up in solitary confinement, and they have to feed him his meals through a cat flap."  
  
"Wow," Harry said softly.  
  
"Yeah – unfortunately, Snape had to suffer through his father's condition for many years until it got to the point that he was violent outside of the house as well," Lupin said, "Messed him up for life, it did. But you've seen that."  
  
"So that's why Snape is so...well...Snape-ish?" Harry asked.  
  
"No other reason for it, Harry," Lupin replied, "Could've been a fine kid, he could have. But he was just pushed too far...the Dark Side was the only place that accepted him."  
  
Lupin's eyes were clouded over with some unreadable emotion.  
  
For the first time, Harry felt sympathy for Snape.  
  
"So – why isn't Silver, you know...like him?" Harry asked finally.  
  
"Well, Dumbledore's looked after her ever since he began to tutor her, and that helped her a bit, I suspect. But that girl is just special to begin with. Never seen so much determination in a person before, never. It's what kept her from getting the Dark Mark, it is."  
  
Harry agreed. Silver did prove herself to be unreasonably stubborn often. He wondered how many would have been able to resist the urgings and punishments of Death Eaters for as long as she did.  
  
"It's a good thing we got her when we did, though," Lupin added suddenly, "Because she couldn't have stood it for much longer. Was just at the breaking point when we got her."  
  
Harry wondered what would have become of Silver if they hadn't gotten her. Would she have turned to the Dark Side, as well?  
  
"Why didn't you get Silver sooner, if you knew about what her mom did?" he asked.  
  
"Well, Dumbledore knew from the get-go, but he wouldn't take her until she admitted it. She was too proud...too stubborn...to admit what happened to her. Dumbledore saw right through her though. That man sees through everybody."  
  
"Yeah, he does," Harry agreed.  
  
"She knows when she needs help, though," Lupin said, "Not until she desperately needs it, but the important thing is that she recognizes it. She came to him, and he rescued her right away. Didn't hesitate one moment."  
  
Harry knew that there was no way Dumbledore would have left her in that house even a second after she told him. He felt a new appreciation for Dumbledore.  
  
Lupin sat on the couch and stretched back, gazing at the picture of the waterfall intently.  
  
"Look at the picture, Harry," he said finally.  
  
Harry looked over at the picture and saw a beautiful silver hippogriff not unlike the baby Silver had been so in love with. It was fully grown, however, and drinking out of the pond, every so often pausing to look up. Suddenly a girl walked into the picture. Harry couldn't see her face, but he saw beautiful dark reddish-brown hair and a familiar slim figure, and he had a feeling he knew who it was. She walked up to the hippogriff, patted it, and climbed onto it's back. The two took off, soaring up into the air and out of the picture.  
  
Lupin and Harry looked at it for a long while more, before turning to look at each other.  
  
"It was Silver," Harry said.  
  
"Indeed," Lupin replied.  
  
They turned to look at the picture again.  
  
"I had a feeling that picture was special," Lupin commented finally.  
  
"Do you think it's – the future?" Harry asked.  
  
"Maybe," Lupin answered carefully, "Or maybe it just shows things that could happen, depending on the choices we make."  
  
Harry nodded and the two studied the picture for a while longer. A group of centaurs wandered in and splashed through the pond, but nothing else of interest happened. Harry turned behind them to look at the picture of the farmhouse. One horse was trotting around the pasture, looking very lively, while the rest were grazing. The cows were grazing as well, and it seemed a breeze was blowing that made the door to the farmhouse open and close periodically. Harry had a feeling that, had there been sound, the door would have creaked.  
  
Suddenly their fire turned green, and Mr. Weasley's head appeared in it.  
  
"Harry, Remus!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed happily, "Just where I wanted to find you!"  
  
Lupin grinned. "Hello, Arthur," he greeted.  
  
"Molly and the children were wondering if you two wanted to join us for picking out a Christmas tree tomorrow," Mr. Weasley said.  
  
"I think we'd like that," Lupin replied, turning to Harry. "Would we, Harry?"  
  
"Yep!" Harry replied happily.  
  
"Good, then," Mr. Weasley said, looking very happy indeed, "Come to our house around eleven tomorrow and Molly will make lunch before we set off."  
  
"Will do, Arthur," Lupin agreed.  
  
"Right then, see you tomorrow!" Mr. Weasley replied.  
  
Harry and Lupin echoed him, and he disappeared.  
  
Both of them turned to look at the waterfall picture suddenly, as if something important had happened while they weren't looking. The picture remained empty, however, with no sign of a silver hippogriff or a girl.  
  
Harry couldn't help but wonder what, exactly, the picture had been trying to tell them.


	19. Talking to Trees

**Disclaimer: **I am not J.K. Rowling. Therefore, I do not own any of the things she has created. Simple enough?

**Loyal Reviewers: **What do you guys think about making a chapter, or maybe a half a chapter, from Silver's point of view? For a bit of an inside look on how she thinks and so on...good idea, or no?

**------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 19 – Talking to Trees**  
  
The next morning Harry woke up early, as he usually did, and ambled downstairs. Lupin was reading _The Daily Prophet_ in the living room.  
  
"Morning," Harry greeted.  
  
Lupin looked up in surprise. "Back to being an early riser, are we?" he commented.  
  
"Yep," Harry confirmed.  
  
"Molly's invited us over for breakfast," Lupin said, "Shall we go now?"  
  
Harry grinned. It sounded a lot better than cereal.  
  
"Floo Powder again, sorry," Lupin informed him as he folded up the newspaper.  
  
"It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't make you so dizzy," Harry grumbled as he took a small handful and tossed it into the flames.  
  
He stepped in and ordered, "The Burrow!"  
  
Immediately he began to spin around...and around, and around...until he was finally deposited in the Weasley's fireplace. He remembered to duck so that he wouldn't hit his head, and as a result ended up in a heap on the floor.  
  
"Morning, Harry, darling!" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen as he scrambled up, still a bit dizzy.  
  
Lupin arrived behind Harry, managing to duck and keep his balance at the same time.  
  
"Morning, Remus!" Mrs. Weasley called.  
  
"Morning, Molly!" Lupin replied, and then, very enthusiastically, "What's for breakfast?"  
  
"You just wait and see," she replied.  
  
Lupin grinned, and Mr. Weasley walked into the room.  
  
"Remus, Harry!" he exclaimed, "How are you?"  
  
"Good," they replied in unison.  
  
Mr. Weasley beamed. "I believe Ron is waiting for you upstairs, Harry," he commented.  
  
Harry grinned and headed for the staircase as Mr. Weasley and Lupin began to discuss the latest article in _The Daily Prophet_. He didn't bother to knock on Ron's door, but simply burst in, causing Ron to jump and bang his hand on his nightstand.  
  
"Hi, Harry!" he greeted as he winced.  
  
"Hello," Harry replied cheerfully as Pig zoomed into his stomach with the force of a small rocket, temporarily knocking the air out of him.  
  
Ron stuffed Pig in his cage as Harry regained his breath.  
  
"What's his problem?" Harry asked, rubbing his stomach and looking at the owl who was now rattling the cage.  
  
"Just hyper," Ron answered, "He does it to everybody except Ginny."  
  
Harry suddenly smirked as he noticed that there was a picture of Hermione on Ron's nightstand.  
  
Ron followed his gaze and blushed bright crimson.  
  
"She, uh, gave it to me on the train," he explained.  
  
"Before or after you kissed?" Harry answered mischievously.  
  
"Before," Ron admitted, blushing even harder.  
  
Harry sniggered, and Ron threw his pillow at him.  
  
"It's not funny," he mumbled.  
  
"Sorry," Harry said, although he didn't really mean it, "So have you asked her to officially be your girlfriend yet?"  
  
"No," Ron mumbled.  
  
Harry tried very hard not to laugh.  
  
"It's no worse than you not having asked Silver yet!" Ron told him.  
  
"Who says I haven't asked her?" Harry answered in a superior voice.  
  
Ron gaped. "You...you have?" he asked.  
  
"Well, no, but I just wanted to know where you got the idea," Harry replied.  
  
It was Ron's turn to snigger.  
  
"Well, I didn't expect you to have the guts," he told him.  
  
Harry threw his pillow back at him. "Are you saying I'm a wimp?" he challenged, grabbing another pillow from Ron's bed.  
  
"Sure am," Ron confirmed wickedly.  
  
They began a relentless pillow fight during which Pig's cage got knocked around quite often, much to the owl's content. Suddenly the door banged open. Mrs. Weasley stood there, hands on her hips. Harry turned to look at her, which was a mistake, because the next minute he got whapped on the head with Ron's pillow. He began to raise his to hit Ron back, but Mrs. Weasley interrupted.  
  
"Oh no you DON'T!"  
  
Immediately they both dropped their pillows.  
  
"You two are making an absolute racket!" she screeched, "You'd think there was an earthquake! I want it to stop right _now_."  
  
"Yes mum," Ron muttered quickly.  
  
"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," Harry echoed.  
  
Still eyeing them suspiciously, she closed the door. They burst into laughter.  
  
"Ha! I won!" Ron crowed triumphantly.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Harry muttered.  
  
"So, did you go to Open Market yesterday?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yeah, we went with Silver and Snape," Harry answered.  
  
"And _Snape_?" Ron repeated, "Why would he want to be around that many people?"  
  
"He didn't have a good time, trust me," Harry answered.  
  
Ron laughed. "We tried to look for you, but there was just too many people."  
  
"Yeah, there was a lot," Harry said. He told Ron about Silver's infatuation with the silver hippogriff and how the picture on the wall had shown them...something.  
  
"What do you reckon it was, Harry?" Ron asked, "The future?"  
  
"That's what I thought, but Lupin thought it wasn't quite the future...just possibilities for it," Harry answered.  
  
"So is everything you see a possibility?" Ron inquired curiously.  
  
"I dunno," Harry replied.  
  
"I want to go see it," Ron said, a touch of envy in his voice.  
  
"Wait until you do," Harry said, "The place looks great, except for the bedrooms and the study."  
  
"Nice," Ron replied, "Guess I'll have to wait until Christmas, though."  
  
"Well, you never know," Harry answered, "What with all the stuff the Order has going on."  
  
"Yeah...and you could always invite me over, you know," Ron hinted.  
  
"To do what? Stare at the picture all day?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, it doesn't sound like it would be so bad!" Ron replied indignantly, "I've never seen the future before!"  
  
Harry laughed and Mrs. Weasley called them downstairs for breakfast.  
  
As always, there was a long, full table. Mr. Weasley sat on the head, and on either side of him was Mrs. Weasley's empty seat and Lupin. Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, and Harry also sat at the table. Mrs. Weasley appeared in the room carrying a huge tray of waffles.  
  
"Waffles!" Lupin exclaimed delightedly.  
  
Mrs. Weasley beamed as she heaped four waffles onto his plate. Lupin looked absolutely ecstatic. Mrs. Weasley proceeded to serve them all, and then sat down herself to enjoy breakfast.  
  
"Does anyone need any more syrup?" George asked once everyone had poured theirs.  
  
After receiving no's from everyone at the table, he proceeded to empty the syrup pitcher into two glasses.  
  
"Okay then," he said mischievously to Fred, handing him a glass, "On the count of three."  
  
"Boys," Mrs. Weasley said concernedly, "What're you doing?"  
  
"One."  
  
"_Boys_?"  
  
"Two."  
  
"BOYS?"  
  
"Three."  
  
They both raised the glasses to their mouths and began chugging.  
  
"Sick!" Ginny squealed, blanching and running from the room with her hand clapped over her mouth.  
  
Harry winced at the sight, and Ron clutched his stomach from beside him.  
  
Mrs. Weasley was covering her eyes, and Mr. Weasley raised his eyebrows. Lupin looked shocked.  
  
Suddenly, the sound of slurping air came from both cups.  
  
"Ha!" they cried in unison, each ready to claim victory over the other.  
  
"Wait – no!" they exclaimed, "I was first!"  
  
Then, grinning, they declared a tie.  
  
Mrs. Weasley dared to look up.  
  
"FRED! GEORGE! NEVER AGAIN!" she screeched.  
  
"I WON'T BE ABLE TO EAT SYRUP FOR A YEAR! DISGUSTING! YOU'RE BOTH GOING TO BE SICK, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU A _DROP_ OF MEDICINE!"  
  
Fred and George grinned.  
  
"You're going to let us suffer from _syrup intake_, Mum?" George asked, trying to look both innocent and shocked.  
  
"How cruel!" Fred exclaimed, mirroring George's look.  
  
"Cruel indeed," Mrs. Weasley replied savagely.  
  
Ron and Harry were overcome with fits of silent laughter. Lupin and Mr. Weasley both looked highly amused, but when Mrs. Weasley looked their way, they were innocently eating their waffles.  
  
"Now," Mrs. Weasley declared, "I'm going to go see if Ginny is alright."  
  
Once Mrs. Weasley had made it out of the room, all six left at the table dissolved into laughter.  
  
"Admit it!" George boasted, "You've never seen anyone drink syrup faster than us!"  
  
Harry had personally never witnessed anybody drink syrup before, so he "admitted" it with a shrug.  
  
"Actually, I have," Lupin replied, a gleam in his eye.  
  
"What?" Fred dropped his fork onto his plate.  
  
"No!" George exclaimed.  
  
"Sirius Black and James Potter," Lupin declared, "Could beat you any day!"  
  
Harry was half saddened, half happy at this mention of his father and Sirius. How could Lupin talk...joke...about them like that? Or maybe he hadn't been – maybe he was just appreciating them. It was hard to tell. Lupin and the rest shot him a cautious glance, and he managed a halfway honest grin. Nobody said anything, anyway – they must have seen that his smile was not wholly sincere. He ate a bite of his waffle, and the syrupy taste made him feel nauseated.  
  
"Ugh," he said, pushing his plate away, "I can't stand the taste of syrup any more!"  
  
He shot Fred and George an accusing glance, and they grinned innocently.  
  
"Wonder why," Fred commented.  
  
"Think the poor bloke's had a bad experience with it," George added.  
  
Harry smiled, still thinking of his father and Sirius. If they had been there at that moment, they would be happily taking Fred and George on, he knew. And his mother – would she reprimand them as Mrs. Weasley had done? Or would she only halfheartedly scold them? Would she look over and wink at Harry, or would she give him a gaze that clearly told him she didn't want him to drink syrup anytime soon? Would his father attempt to get him to try it? Would Sirius? _If my parents were here_, Harry thought wistfully, _I could just walk over and give my mum a hug, right now...just walk right over and do it._  
  
"Harry?" Ron asked, waving a hand in front of his face.  
  
"Are you okay?" Lupin inquired, looking at Harry as if trying to read his thoughts.  
  
"You should give your mum a hug," Harry answered to Ron.  
  
"What?" Ron asked confusedly.  
  
"Give her a hug," Harry replied, as if it were a simple morning chore.  
  
Ron looked too confused to say anything for a moment, but then he recovered himself.  
  
"Sure, Harry," he said finally, "Sure I'll give her a hug."  
  
Harry stared at the table in front of him, aware that everyone was watching him, and not wholly comfortable with the fact. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny entered the room, and Ginny cautiously took a seat next to Harry, instead of next to Fred and George where she had been sitting. Ron pushed his chair back and stood up as Mrs. Weasley prepared to sit down.  
  
"Mum," he said, beginning to blush.  
  
She looked up.  
  
"Um, don't sit down," he told her, walking over.  
  
"Why not?" she asked, looking down at her chair as if it might be bewitched.  
  
"Because...um..." Ron stammered, not quite sure what to say.  
  
Finally, he just put his arms around her. He had to bend down a little to do it, but he did. Looking shocked and pleased, Mrs. Weasley put her arms around him.  
  
"Oh, Ronnie," she said blissfully, closing her eyes over his shoulder, "You've just made my day."  
  
She released him after a moment, her eyes bright.  
  
"What was that for?" she asked.  
  
"I...um, I'm not really sure," Ron replied, his face growing steadily redder.  
  
"Well...thank you," Mrs. Weasley said, looking at Ron lovingly.  
  
"Welcome," Ron mumbled as he took his seat, his face crimson.  
  
He looked at Harry inquiringly, as if wondering whether he had done a good job. Harry nodded, and then got up and headed for Ron's room. He didn't want company, and Ron seemed to sense that, because he didn't follow. He sat on Ron's bed, wishing that he could have been Ron then, giving his mother a hug. Ron thought that he, Harry, "the-boy-who-lived" had such a great life, but Harry would give anything to be red-haired, freckled Ron with both parents. _He probably has godparents who are still alive, too_, Harry thought bitterly. He lay back on Ron's bed, struggling with the lump in his throat. He found himself wishing that he was the boy who didn't live. He would be wherever his parents were - just as it was supposed to be. He took deep breaths, fighting the urge to break down into tears, or depression...or whatever it was that was threatening to overcome him. Finally, the lump in his throat disappeared, and his eyes no longer felt as if they were holding back a waterfall. He still lay there, feeling something in between relief and depression.  
  
A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He knew it was Lupin's.  
  
"Come in," he said quietly, knowing that Lupin was listening intently enough to hear him.  
  
Lupin came in and Harry sat up and began talking before he was questioned.  
  
"I was just wondering what it would be like to have parents," he informed Lupin quickly, "But I'm fine now."  
  
Lupin didn't look as if he quite believed it. "Are you sure?" he asked.  
  
"Yep," Harry replied in a horribly upbeat voice, "I think I'll go see if anyone wants to play Quidditch for a while."  
  
"Well...okay, then," Lupin agreed, "But you'll tell me if something's bothering you, won't you?"  
  
"Sure," Harry answered, getting up and striding out of the room. He felt a bit guilty about just leaving Lupin there, but Lupin could handle it.  
  
He walked into the kitchen and everyone fell silent. His heart sank. They had been talking about him.  
  
"Well, don't stop talking about me just because I'm here," he said, still using an upbeat voice. He heard Lupin enter the room behind him.  
  
"Harry...we weren't..." Ron began.  
  
"Oh, but you were," Harry replied, "Let's all talk about Harry, the-boy-who- lived! Harry Potter, famous for being an orphan with a scar on his forehead!"  
  
"Harry," Mrs. Weasley tried.  
  
"Oh, no," Harry said in a mock shocked voice, "I didn't want to disrupt your conversation. Please, do continue!"  
  
Everybody was silent, which only served to make Harry's temper rise dangerously.  
  
"Poor Potter, he doesn't have anyone to guide him, does he?" he asked, hinting at what he knew was going through Mrs. Weasley's (and perhaps the others') mind, "Yep, he has _emotional issues_ which he needs to overcome – but he doesn't have time for that, because HE HAS TO DEFEAT VOLDEMORT!"  
  
Everyone in the room gasped and jumped except for Lupin, who merely looked startled.  
  
"VOLDEMORT, VOLDEMORT, _VOLDEMORT_!" Harry bellowed at the top of his lungs, watching with some sort of sick pleasure as they all jumped.  
  
Then he smiled at them and strode out to the backyard. Nobody followed. He spotted a garden gnome sitting innocently on the grass in a corner.  
  
"HO, HO!" he exclaimed, as if the gnome had purposely gone to great lengths to annoy him.  
  
The gnome sensed danger and got up to run away, but Harry grabbed it by the ankles, swung it around, and then let it fly with such force that it probably landed somewhere in the United States. Feeling a bit more satisfied, Harry sat down with his back against the garden wall. He ran his hand through his hair, feeling his temper begin to drop. Finally, he leaned his head back against the garden wall and closed his eyes. The December sun was weak, but after a few minutes he felt a warmth creeping across his face and body. He sighed, wondering if the others were going to come out for him anytime soon. _Nah_, he thought, _They probably need some more time to discuss how they're going to 'handle it'_. He half grinned at the thought, knowing that it was exactly what the others were doing at that very moment. He figured there was no need to go back in, since he was enjoying sitting outside anyhow. The sun's rays were becoming more and more successful in warming him up. He felt nearly intoxicated by the heat. He began to grow drowsy, and was somewhere in between sleep and wakefulness when he was interrupted.  
  
"Uh, Harry?" Ron's voice came.  
  
Harry reluctantly opened his eyes and looked at Ron.  
  
"Um, we're going to go get our trees now," Ron said, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else than talking with Harry.  
  
"Super," Harry replied a bit sarcastically as he got up. How long had he been sitting there?  
  
Ron eyed him warily. "Uh, yeah. Would you rather travel by Floo Powder or the Knight Bus?"  
  
"Why? Don't want to ruffle my feathers any more?" Harry replied good- naturedly, although still finding himself unable to completely lose his sarcastic attitude. "The Knight Bus, I suppose."  
  
"Right," Ron said, still looking at him as if he might explode at any second.  
  
"No worries, Ron, I've got most of my yells out of me," Harry assured him brightly as they walked through the door. Everyone was sitting at the kitchen table, looking at him as he walked in. Harry knew Ron was shrugging behind his back.  
  
"No need to shrug, Ron, just tell them in words," he said as he headed for the front door. He was in rather a good, but yet sarcastic, mood.  
  
The others joined him as he stood outside. They all looked at him uneasily.  
  
"Shall I do the honors?" he asked in an imperial voice, whipping his wand out and flourishing it in the air. He continued to wave his wand about crazily until the Knight Bus pulled up.  
  
They all exchanged worried glances, causing him to chuckle in amusement. Stan grinned cheesily at them as they boarded.  
  
"Hiya, Neville," Stan greeted.  
  
"Hey, Stan, ole buddy, ole pal," Harry replied with mock cheerfulness, patting Stan heartily on the back.  
  
He eyed the other's worried looks with amusement.  
  
"I'm not crazy, ya know," he informed them as they took their seats.  
  
Nobody looked too convinced. Ron hesitantly sat next to him, looking extremely concerned.  
  
The bus took off, sending Harry backwards against his seat. He refrained from laughing. Riding the Knight Bus was like riding the worst roller coaster ride ever invented. After a while, the bus lurched to a stop for some other passengers to get on. Harry went flying into the seat in front of him. Everybody leaned toward him, as if that would somehow help, but Harry began to laugh almost uncontrollably.  
  
"Some ride, huh?" he asked them as he struggled to stop laughing. It looked as if it were worrying them. He stretched back comfortably in his seat and let the bus toss him about.  
  
Everybody was too scared of him to say a word when they got off at their stop, which was Mary's Magical Christmas Trees.  
  
"Are the trees really magical?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah," Ron replied, "Mum likes these better than regular trees."  
  
"What do they do?" Harry inquired.  
  
"Well, they smack you if you try to pick up your presents before Christmas, and they assort them by name so that everybody has a pile on Christmas morning."  
  
"Nifty," Harry replied. He strolled up to a tree, and it bent down, as if looking at him.  
  
"Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived," he introduced himself formally, extending a hand.  
  
The tree reached out one of it's branches and shook his hand.  
  
Lupin and the Weasleys looked concerned for Harry's life.  
  
"I just thought I'd introduce myself," he said innocently.  
  
He wondered what had put him in such a mood for shocking people – he found that he was suddenly rather good at it. Or maybe he always had been. In any case, it was fun. And it wasn't as if he had anything else to do. He wandered through the rows of trees, refraining from introducing himself to each and every one of them. He had a feeling the others would transport him to St. Mungo's immediately if he did.  
  
"Harry!" Lupin called, "I think I've found one!"  
  
Harry hurried past the trees to find Lupin looking at a dark green pine that was stretching itself to its full height...which wasn't amazingly tall...for them. For some reason, it looked as if it would compliment the Black living room very nicely. Harry had the urge to introduce himself to it, but didn't.  
  
"I like it," he told Lupin.  
  
"Good, then," Lupin replied, "We'll take it."  
  
The tree nearly jumped in excitement. Harry grinned. He liked the thought of a tree with personality.  
  
Harry called Ron over to see it.  
  
"Well...it's not very tall," Ron said disappointedly.  
  
The tree sagged sadly.  
  
"Of course it is!" Harry exclaimed, as if Ron were blind, "Just look at it – taller than any tree I've ever seen!"  
  
The tree immediately straightened and stretched itself upward, eager to prove Harry right.  
  
"If you say so," Ron replied doubtfully.  
  
Harry grinned at the tree as Ron walked away.  
  
"I think you're tall enough," he told it.  
  
It quivered happily.  
  
Suddenly something struck Harry.  
  
"Oh god," he moaned, "I'm talking to a _tree_."


	20. The Torch, Part 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's charcters, places, or items.

**Comments: **Alright, I did it - I put Silver's point of view in! I thought it would help to understand her character a bit better, but if it didn't...oh well, consider it a mystery. Lol. Anyhow, enjoy & review!

**-----------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 20 – The Torch, Part 1  
  
Silver's Point of View  
**  
Silver heard a small thump and inwardly groaned. It was too early in the morning to be woken up. She opened her eyes, prepared to scold Esperanza, but she froze as she saw what had woken her up. Snape was in the room, his back to her, looking intently through all the Potions books that lined the bookshelf of the room she was staying in. She didn't move a muscle, for some reason not wanting him to know she was awake.  
  
"Good morning," he greeted, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.  
  
She frowned. How did he always do that? He seemed to know at any given time exactly what she was thinking and feeling. She supposed it came from being an Occlumens.  
  
"Morning," she replied.  
  
"Sleep well?" he asked, trying to sound as if it were some offhand question.  
  
She grinned. Even if he could read her mind, he certainly didn't succeed when he attempted to act as if she weren't important to him.  
  
"Yes," she replied, "No nightmares."  
  
She watched as his figure relaxed visibly. His hand suddenly shot out toward a navy-colored book. He turned as he pulled it out, and she saw satisfaction in his eyes as he looked at it. She knew it wouldn't be long before he looked up at her, and waited a bit eagerly. Sure enough, his eyes traveled to hers, and she beamed at him. Although he tried to mask it, she could see that he clearly cared for her. It was something she was not used to seeing in anybody's eyes first thing in the morning...or any time of day, for that matter, and it was definitely something she could get used to. After a moment, he turned, shaking his head, and left the room, shutting the door behind him. She wished he wouldn't have left – but then, she knew he couldn't handle being open for very long.  
  
"Esperanza!" she called to her owl, who was soundly sleeping at the foot of her bed, perched on the footboard.  
  
The owl opened it's eyes and hooted sleepily.  
  
"Oh, come on, it's a perfectly beautiful morning, you know you want to stretch your wings," she coaxed as she stepped down onto the hardwood floor. It felt cold against her bare feet, and she quickly rummaged through her things until she found some socks.  
  
Esperanza stubbornly attempted to go back to sleep as she showered and dressed in the bathroom that was joined to her room. She ran a comb through her wet hair and left it to dry – she wasn't going for anything particularly fancy that morning.  
  
"Come on, Esp, you need to get up!" she urged as she made her bed.  
  
Esperanza immediately woke up from his feigned sleep and hooted indignantly.  
  
"I can call you whatever I want," she said, "Especially if it wakes you up, _Esp_."  
  
She grinned as her owl defiantly turned it's back to her.  
  
"Alright, I'm sorry, _Esperanza_," she apologized, "I just wanted to get you up!"  
  
She pulled the small bundle into her arms and he snuggled with her contentedly. She carried him to the window and opened it. He gave an excited hoot.  
  
"I told you it was pretty out," she said, gazing out at the mansion's backyard, which was terribly overgrown but overwhelmingly beautiful at the same time.  
  
Her owl flew out the window, and she felt a bit lonesome.  
  
She sighed and walked over to her bedstand, where she picked up her locket and clasped it around her neck.  
  
She opened the door and sighed as she tried to remember where to go. _Turn right_, she directed herself, _And now...left, and then another left, and then...right? Or was it three lefts in a row?_ She heard whispers and looked up to see two very old men in a portrait looking pointedly at her.  
  
"Could you tell me how to get downstairs from here?" she asked meekly.  
  
"And why would you want to do that?" asked one of them, who was terribly wrinkly.  
  
"Well, because I'm hungry, and the kitchen is downstairs," she explained.  
  
"Oh, you think so, do you?" asked the other.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"She thinks so," the wrinkly one scoffed to the other.  
  
She sighed. "Please, won't you tell me?" she pleaded.  
  
"Under no circumstances do we give directions to _the enemy_!" the smoother- skinned one yelled down at her.  
  
"_No circumstances_!" the wrinkly one echoed.  
  
"Oh, shut your trap, you blasted idiots," came a very welcome voice from behind her.  
  
She turned to see Snape walking up, looking at the two portrait-men in rather a frightful way. Immediately the two men straightened up and saluted him.  
  
"As you say, captain!" the wrinkly one said at once.  
  
"We will not argue with orders, sir!" the other one added.  
  
Snape rolled his eyes, and turned to her, the menace suddenly gone.  
  
"Hungry, are you?" he asked as he swept in front of her, showing her the way.  
  
_Okay, so it's three lefts in a row_, Silver thought, _And then another right, and there's the staircase!_  
  
"Yes," she admitted as she followed him downstairs.  
  
"You let the owl out?" he asked.  
  
She smiled. She hadn't let Esperanza out her first day there, and he had soared out of her room, his hoots echoing through the halls, and refused to be caught for an hour.  
  
"Of course," she said innocently.  
  
She couldn't see him, but she knew that he was grinning. When they arrived in the dining room, breakfast was on the table, still giving off steam. Snape stood for a moment by his chair, trying to look as if he wasn't expecting anything. She smiled as she walked up and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back only halfheartedly, and she glanced around to see who was watching. Only a house-elf. She didn't sigh outwardly, but she felt a bit saddened as she dropped into her chair. Was he really too embarrassed to hug her in front of a silly house-elf? It's not like the stupid elf was going to go out and announce it to the world. She met his eye as she looked up, and saw his silent apology. She smiled at him reassuringly and began to eat her breakfast.  
  
Truthfully, she missed her friends, and the others in the Order whom she had befriended while they were there on 'guard duty'. She knew that she loved Snape, but it was so hard to get him to show the affection she knew he felt for her. She thrived on positive attention – she had ever since she had learned that it existed. True, when Dumbledore had come to tutor her, she had suspected he might be a bit friendly, but she had thought that he was merely a Light wizard – someone whose job was to defeat Death Eaters. When she had learned that he actually cared about her well-being, she had been both astounded and suspicious. But as time went on, and he continued to mentor her, she found herself unwillingly opening herself up more and more, and discovering that it was a relief to do so. Anyone who Dumbledore told her she could trust, she did – with the exception of most women. She blamed her mother for her prejudice against the female population, but with the exception of some younger girls, she simply didn't trust them. When Snape had first come to guard duty, he had intimidated her greatly, until he randomly informed her that he, too, was a victim of abuse. Ever since then, she had been able to ask him questions she couldn't ask anyone else – questions only he would understand. But it was a bit trying, sometimes, when he refused to surrender his public image as cold-hearted...even to his house-elves, for heaven's sake!  
  
"What're you thinking about?" he grunted from across the table, eyeing her curiously.  
  
"You," she answered, innocently and honestly.  
  
"Hmph," he replied, trying not to look pleased.  
  
She smiled as she cleared her plate of her eggs. Sometimes it was amusing to watch his reactions to her open show of affection.  
  
"Harry's coming over tomorrow, right?" she asked suddenly as she remembered that it was Tuesday.  
  
He gave her a glare which could only mean yes.  
  
"Oh, come on, he's not so bad," she protested.  
  
"Potter is an arrogant, selfish..." he began hotly.  
  
"I think you're thinking of the wrong Potter," she interrupted coolly, "We're talking about Harry, not James. One of these days you're going to have to admit that Harry is a perfectly nice person."  
  
"No I'm not," he answered stubbornly.  
  
She smiled triumphantly, and it took him a moment to figure out why.  
  
"I mean, no he's not," he corrected himself.  
  
"_You're_ supposed to be the cunning one, remember?" she teased, "Head of House for Slytherin?"  
  
"Funny," he told her dryly, "Very."  
  
She giggled as she finished her breakfast. He finished his, as well, and got up to walk away.  
  
"You're leaving?" she asked disappointedly, sagging in her chair.  
  
He turned to look at her with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.  
  
"Don't get so excited, child. I never said you couldn't come."  
  
She beamed at him as she jumped out of her seat and bounded to his side.  
  
"Has anyone ever told you you're too emotional?" he asked curiously as she followed him to his study.  
  
"No," she answered worriedly, "Am I?"  
  
He merely shook his head.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Harry's Point of View** (back to normal!)  
  
Harry awoke to the sound of a large bang. His room shook as if a small bomb had gone off downstairs. He quickly grabbed his glasses and hurried downstairs. He walked into the kitchen and suppressed a laugh with great difficulty. Lupin was pouring water over a frying pan that was on fire.  
  
"You really should give it up," he told Lupin.  
  
Lupin glared at him. "Fine, if you like having Frosted Flakes every morning..."  
  
"Well, not really, but honestly – cooking isn't your thing," Harry said.  
  
Lupin frowned down at the frying pan in front of him, which was now giving off thick gray steam.  
  
"You could just get a girlfriend," Harry suggested.  
  
Lupin glared at him again, much to his amusement.  
  
"Just a suggestion!" he said defensively.  
  
Lupin shook his head and got out two bowls, a box of cereal, and milk. Harry grinned as he poured himself some cereal. They had no sooner sat down for breakfast when they heard Tonks' voice from their living room.  
  
"Remus! Harry! Hello?"  
  
They exchanged glances and walked into the living room to see Tonks' head in their fireplace. Their Christmas tree began to shake all over at the sight of them, nearly bouncing out of it's pot.  
  
"Hi," she greeted them.  
  
Harry smiled his hello and Lupin gave a rather feeble, "Hi".  
  
"Anyhow, Remus, Moody's got some very valuable information on You-Know- Who..."  
  
"Voldemort," Harry interrupted, causing Tonks to take in a huge mouthful of ash, "Stop saying 'you-know-who', it's stupid."  
  
Tonks merely looked at him in amazement, while Lupin chuckled.  
  
"Anyway," she continued, "Moody says he's not a very happy camper now that he has no clue of Harry or Silver's whereabouts, and there's a good possibility he's going to summon Severus, so we wanted to make sure in advance that you'd be ready to take Silver if that should happen."  
  
Harry had a feeling that if Voldemort summoned Snape, chances wouldn't be high on Snape having a very good Christmas.  
  
"Sure I would," Lupin replied, "Has she been told the news yet?"  
  
"Silver?" Tonks asked, "No. According to Severus she'd go 'emotional' if he told her, so he's just going to wait it out."  
  
Lupin frowned. "I don't know if it's such a good idea to shock her when and if the news comes."  
  
Harry could tell from the way Tonks' head bobbled that she had shrugged.  
  
"Maybe he'll tell her," she replied, "Dumbledore says it's up to him. Say, what's up with your tree?"  
  
Their tree was still trying frantically to get their attention.  
  
"It's...erm...friendly," Lupin replied, looking at the shaking tree skeptically.  
  
"Morning, tree," Harry greeted.  
  
It quivered excitedly and then stood still. Tonks laughed.  
  
"Leave it to you two to get a tree with a personality," she teased.  
  
Lupin smiled, and looked about to say something when Tonks began to look worried.  
  
"Shoot," she muttered, "They're here."  
  
There was a small pop and her head disappeared.  
  
Lupin and Harry exchanged glances.  
  
"Who's there?" Harry asked.  
  
"Death Eaters would be my guess," Lupin answered, "They're extremely intent on finding Silver. There has to be something she knows that she hasn't told Dumbledore yet – Voldemort's too panicky about her being gone."  
  
Harry frowned. Why wouldn't Silver tell Dumbledore something so important?  
  
"Come on, let's finish our breakfast," Lupin said, "I'm sure Tonks will come back to let us know that she's fine in a little while."  
  
Harry reluctantly followed him.  
  
"So, are we doing anything exciting today?" he questioned.  
  
"Depends on if you call sitting around the house exciting," Lupin replied, "I have to go over some things in the study before we clean it out, so you have free reign in the house today."  
  
"Alright," Harry said, "I suppose if I get lonely the tree will keep me company."  
  
Lupin laughed. "Suppose so," he said, "And you're welcome to use the Floo Powder to talk to your friends, as long as it's only your head."  
  
Harry didn't fancy the idea of kneeling down on the hard fireplace with his head in the fire just to talk to his friends.  
  
"Uh, I think I'll just entertain myself around here," he replied.  
  
Lupin smiled. "Good then. You know, Sirius mentioned something about 'secrets' in this house a few times – I bet they're worth finding."  
  
Harry grinned. He fully intended to find them. "I'll look," he assured Lupin.  
  
Lupin nodded and stood up as he finished his breakfast.  
  
"Well, I'll be in the study if you need me," he said.  
  
Harry nodded and wondered what to do first. Look for "secrets"? There really wasn't much else. But where to start – and what to look for?  
  
He wandered upstairs to Sirius' room. The pictures of him waved at him and his broomstick picture did a very accurate impression of catching the Snitch, although there wasn't a Snitch in sight. His mother blew him kisses from her picture, and his father waved at him and then ran his hand through his hair, much in the same way Harry did. Sirius grinned at him and winked, as he always did. Harry smiled and began to search the walls for loose boards. He stepped into the closet and pressed against all the boards. Nothing happened. Frowning, Harry reached up to run his hand through his hair, and as he did, he hit a clothes hanger. The floor underneath him moved. He glanced upwards in surprise and turned the hanger sideways. Nothing happened. He gave it a tug, and the floor began to move again. He stepped off of the bit of moving floor and pulled hard on the hanger. Four of the floorboards began to slide back, and finally they clicked in place, revealing a long, dark stairway. _I wonder if I should go down there without telling Lupin_, Harry thought, looking down at the forbidding-looking tunnel. _Wait a second, am I_ scared_? Definitely not._ With that in his head, he began to walk down the staircase, wishing that he was of age so that he could light the tip of his wand.  
  
It felt very damp as he walked down, and he briefly wondered if he was walking down into a well. The little light that had penetrated the first few stairs faded away as the staircase spiraled, and Harry was left to feel his way down. Suddenly his hand hit something on the wall. Tentatively, he felt it. Could it be...a torch?  
  
"Um, I can't use magic, because I'm not of age," he explained to the maybe- torch, "So could you just light up for me?"  
  
At first, nothing happened, but suddenly the hallway burst into light. The torch lit up, but instead of fire at the top, it held a small ball of bright white light.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said, wondering why he had been talking to non-human objects lately as he took the torch and continued to head down.  
  
Finally, he came to a circular opening. The staircase that he had just come down was to his back, but there were many more going back up surrounding him. Suddenly, he heard two women's voices.  
  
"I know that old fool Dumbledore has something to do with it!" one of them was saying.  
  
"I don't doubt it. The old fool made his first mistake protecting that Potter boy...and now he's making another."  
  
"Well, we'll find her for certain," the other one said confidently, "How far can a fifteen year old get with the help of a feeble old man?"  
  
The first one began to laugh, and Harry's mind reeled. Where had he heard that second voice before?  
  
Suddenly the laughing ceased. "Is that a light?" the familiar voice asked.  
  
Harry looked at the brightly shining torch beside him and began to feel dread bubbling in his stomach.


	21. The Torch, Part 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowlings' things...so don't sue.

**----------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 21 – The Torch, Part 2**  
  
Harry stared at the torch for a moment, listening to the quickened footsteps headed his way. He had no idea how to turn it off – he didn't even know how he had turned it on!  
  
"Off!" he hissed, "Turn off!"  
  
If anything, it seemed to shine more brightly.  
  
"Please, torch, just go off, please!" Harry begged.  
  
It shut off, plunging him into darkness except for a faint light that was growing brighter coming from the bottom of one of the other staircases. He frantically backpedaled up the staircase he had come, and once the spiraling staircase had turned a corner he stopped, breathless, and stayed as still as he could.  
  
"There's no light," the first one was saying.  
  
"Narcissa, listen, I _saw_ a light," The other one replied.  
  
_Narcissa?_ Harry thought, _Draco's mom?_ He frowned. Okay, so one of them was Narcissa. But who was that other one? That achingly familiar voice...  
  
"Oh, hogwash. Who would be down here? And anyway, only _our kind_ know about these passageways," Narcissa replied.  
  
"I suppose," the other one replied dubiously.  
  
Harry was thinking so hard his head hurt. _Whose_ voice was it? _Why_ was it so familiar?  
  
"So what did we come down here for anyway?" Narcissa demanded.  
  
"It's the only place nobody will hear us," the other voice replied, "Let's get to the point. We need to find her. The Dark Lord grows impatient, and he will have our heads if we don't have the dratted girl the next time we are summoned!"  
  
"Ha," Narcissa replied, her strange laugh echoing, "I doubt it. He's got bigger fish to fry. He's lost track of Potter."  
  
The other woman snorted. "How can he lose track of him in Hogwarts?"  
  
"That's just it – he's not there anymore. He must have gone somewhere for Christmas, and he's not at his friend's houses or his relatives," Narcissa informed her.  
  
"He's probably pining away for Sirius somewhere," the voice said tauntingly.  
  
Harry felt a rush of anger, both at how she said Sirius' name and how he could not, for the life of him, figure out who she was. He considered peeking around the corner, but his stomach churned in protest when he thought of what they would probably do if they saw him there...take him straight to Voldemort, no doubt.  
  
"Well, whatever he's doing, he's doing a good job of hiding," Narcissa said, sounding rather annoyed.  
  
Harry grinned. Little did she know that he was right around the corner at that very moment.  
  
"I bet Snape's going to be in for it," the other one said, sounding mildly disappointed.  
  
"No doubt – sometimes I wonder about him. He seems like a smart fellow, but how dense can he be to have just let Potter slip through his fingers like that?"  
  
"Well, it's not like he can just abduct Potter at any random moment. The Dark Lord needs him at Hogwarts to keep up-to-date on Dumbledore's plans, as well," the other one informed Narcissa in a know-it-all voice.  
  
"I guess," Narcissa agreed.  
  
Harry began to silently backpedal up the stairs. The two women's conversation faded out and his own thoughts consumed him. Who had the second woman been? Why should Snape be in trouble for the fact that he disappeared? It wasn't as if Snape could know what was happening if Dumbledore didn't want him to know; Voldemort had to realize that. And this girl they were talking about...he was certain it was Silver. He bumped his head on the ceiling...or rather, the floor, and fumbled to find a knob, or a handle...anything...to open it with. The torch was still in his hand, and almost as if he had summoned it's light, a faint glowing emitted from the tip. He spotted a small handle and yanked hard. It creaked softly as it opened. He emerged into Sirius' closet feeling both relieved and annoyed. Wondering if the two women had heard the creak, he shut the floorboards and dragged a trunk over from the corner to sit on top of it.  
  
The words of the mysterious, yet familiar second woman echoed in his head: "He's probably pining away for Sirius somewhere..."  
  
Then it hit him. He gave a half yelp, half gasp, as he realized that he had just been listening to a conversation between Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. Still clutching the torch, he stumbled out of the room and down the stairs.  
  
He entered the study wordlessly and sat down in front of Lupin. Lupin looked up with a smile, but it faded when he saw Harry's face.  
  
"Harry, what happened?" he asked quickly.  
  
"Lestrange," he croaked, waves of hatred pouring over him.  
  
"What about her?" Lupin asked, confused, "Is this about Sirius?"  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"I found a passageway," he said, his voice sounding hollow to him, "And then...Lestrange...I should have killed her."  
  
"A passageway?" Lupin echoed confusedly.  
  
Harry took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts together. Then he proceeded to explain to Lupin what had happened. He repeated Narcissa's and Lestrange's conversation word for word, and then waited. Lupin looked positively stunned.  
  
Harry suddenly stood up and made for the door. Hatred had overcome him and he felt a reckless urge to go and shout at Lestrange for a while.  
  
"Harry," Lupin said sharply, "Where are you going."  
  
"I'm going to kill Lestrange," he said simply, "Want to help?"  
  
"You're not going to kill anybody," Lupin told him, yanking him back down into his chair, "You are not going to go down that passageway again. What is that?"  
  
Harry followed Lupin's gaze down to the torch in his hand. It was a deep brown, and the shape of a small, but long, ice cream cone. It glinted in the light, and managed to look dangerously beautiful.  
  
"A torch," he said, "It lit up and went out when I asked it to."  
  
He turned it over in his hands, thinking but not speaking of how it had given off the perfect amount of light to help him find the small handle on the bottom of the trap door.  
  
"Light it up," Lupin told him.  
  
Harry looked at the torch. "Light," he tried. Nothing happened.  
  
"Please light?" he tried hopefully. Same response.  
  
He concentrated very hard. _I need light_, he thought, staring at the torch, _I need light...  
_  
A small ball of bright white light suddenly came from the bigger end. It seemed to rest just above the surface.  
  
"Put it out," Lupin commanded.  
  
Harry concentrated again, staring at the torch intently. "Go out," he whispered. Immediately the light vanished.  
  
He looked up at Lupin, who was studying the torch intently.  
  
"May I try?" Lupin asked.  
  
Harry almost said no. He felt suddenly as if the torch belonged to him – as if nobody else should be able to even touch it. He held it out to Lupin and forced his fingers to let go when Lupin reached for it.  
  
"Light," Lupin commanded. The torch did nothing. Lupin squinted his eyes in concentration, and even closed them for a moment. Still nothing.  
  
"Light," Lupin ordered again, concentrating so hard Harry thought he would break it with his grip. The torch didn't even give off a flicker of light.  
  
"Light," Harry told it. A bright ball of white light seemed to burst from within it, making Lupin jump and drop it. Instead of falling, it sailed straight into Harry's hand.  
  
Harry surveyed the torch for a moment. "I think it likes me," he finally commented.  
  
Lupin looked a bit put out. Harry found that he could adjust the brightness. _Not so bright_, he thought, _I don't need so much. Just a bit, like in the passageway._ Immediately the ball of light shrunk so that it was smaller than a marble. _More_, Harry thought, _Brighter!_ The ball expanded so that it was bigger than the torch, causing Harry and Lupin to shut their eyes.  
  
"Out!" Harry yelled, "Out!"  
  
The light vanished. Harry thought he might have been blinded by the excruciating force of the light, but after blinking a few times things almost looked normal.  
  
"Ouch," Lupin commented, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"Can I keep it?" Harry replied, smiling at the torch.  
  
Lupin grinned. "Well, I'm not sure what it is, so we'll have to show it to Dumbledore. I'm going to go see if we can go visit him now – promise not to try and kill Lestrange while I'm gone?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry replied, "I'll come with you."  
  
They walked into the living room, Harry experimenting with the torch the entire time. Lupin threw some Floo Powder into the fire and stuck his head in, leaving Harry to play with the torch in his halfway-absence. Lupin knelt in the fire for a long time, while Harry discovered that he could make it blink or bounce up and down on the torch. Finally, Lupin emerged.  
  
"Come now, Harry, he wants to see it immediately," Lupin said.  
  
Harry nodded and threw some Floo Powder into the fire, wondering why Lupin and Dumbledore were getting so worked up about a little torch. Sure, it was cool, but wasn't his meet-up with Narcissa and Lestrange more important? He stepped into the fire and said clearly, "Dumbledore's office."  
  
He clung tightly to the torch as he spun around, and finally got spit out in Dumbledore's office. He would have landed on his feet had he not tripped over a chair.  
  
"Ah, Harry, so nice to see you," Dumbledore greeted as Harry struggled to his feet.  
  
Lupin arrived soon afterwards, and took a seat next to Harry. He and Dumbledore exchanged significant glances, and then Dumbledore turned to Harry, who held the torch up, figuring it was what Dumbledore wanted to see.  
  
"And there it is," Dumbledore commented, squinting at the torch. "Will you demonstrate what you can do with it for me, Harry?"  
  
Harry turned it on so that it was of medium brightness and made the ball of light bounce up and down, blink, grow extremely bright and then vanish. He then made it appear at the size of a marble and roll around on the surface of the torch.  
  
"Very interesting," Dumbledore said as Harry stopped, "Yes, and you are doing all this with mindpower?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Would you mind giving me a turn?" Dumbledore asked politely.  
  
Harry felt the same reluctance he had with Lupin, but he surrendered it to Dumbledore all the same. Dumbledore stared intently at the torch for some time, and Harry didn't know if he was trying to make it work or simply thinking about it.  
  
"Interesting," Dumbledore said, "But I think that with just the right amount of force..."  
  
Dumbledore pointed his wand at it, and a small ball of light appeared. Dumbledore's wand quivered, and his face was etched with concentration as he forced the ball to grow bigger and bigger. However, it simply refused to grow past the size of a tennis ball.  
  
Dumbledore put his wand down, and the light vanished.  
  
"Well, well, that was a very stubborn torch," he commented as he handed it back to Harry, "I do believe it wants to be yours, Harry, and who are we to stop it?"  
  
Harry grinned. He felt as if Dumbledore had just told him he could keep a friend.  
  
"Now, Harry, tell me about your encounter with Bellatrix and Narcissa," Dumbledore requested.  
  
Harry repeated almost word-for-word what he had told Lupin, absently playing with the light on the torch as he did so. When he finished, Dumbledore didn't say anything for a while. Then he sighed and sat down, and Harry realized that Dumbledore was very old.  
  
"It seems we are fighting quite a battle," Dumbledore said at last, "I simply wish that Miss Riddle would tell me whatever she is hiding so that we may proceed with our plans."  
  
"Why don't you ask her to?" Harry asked. He was sure Silver would tell Dumbledore if she was asked – wouldn't she?  
  
"No, Harry, I'm afraid that would be an unwise course of action," Dumbledore replied.  
  
Harry looked at him questioningly.  
  
"You see, Miss Riddle is very sensitive to what she perceives as forcefulness – and she is very stubborn. If she thought that I, for any reason, was trying to force information out of her, she would take that information with her to the grave. No, she must come to me. And I trust that she will, eventually. And, hopefully, before it is too late."  
  
Harry was silent. He knew that Silver would eventually come to Dumbledore, but he didn't know when. The night before Voldemort was planning something terrible, when it would be too late to stop him? Did she realize the seriousness of the situation? _She must_, he thought, _She'll tell him before it's too late_. However, he wasn't quite sure if he believed himself.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore commented, "I have an idea of what that torch is. If I am correct, you may have yourself an extremely valuable weapon. I would suggest that you keep it with you at all times, and do not let anybody else know that you have it."  
  
Harry nodded, looking at the torch with newfound respect. He supposed that if he made it shine brightly enough, he could blind his enemies with it...  
  
"Are you two hungry?" Dumbledore asked suddenly.  
  
Harry's stomach grumbled. "Um, yeah," he said a bit sheepishly.  
  
"Yes," Lupin agreed.  
  
Dumbledore smiled, picked up his bell, and rang it three times. Harry wondered how the elves knew when to bring what kind of food. Soon enough, three house-elves appeared, and one of them gave an excited squeal.  
  
"Harry Potter!" Dobby exclaimed, running over and pushing a plate into his hands.  
  
"Hi, Dobby," Harry said, looking down at the overdressed elf with amusement.  
  
Dobby was wearing two huge scarves, a badly knit orange and green sweater that Harry supposed he had made himself, and what looked like five pairs of soccer shorts, which were really very baggy pants for Dobby. On his feet he sported one red and sparkly sock, and on the other an old-looking black one. He also had two hats on his head.  
  
"Dobby has wanted to see Harry Potter for a very long time, sir!" Dobby squeaked, "A very long time! But Harry Potter has come to Dobby!"  
  
At this, Dobby seized Harry's leg and squeezed it so hard Harry thought it might break.  
  
"Erm...thanks, Dobby," Harry said, desperately hoping Dobby would let go soon.  
  
One of the other house-elves cleared it's throat and looked at Dobby with it's hands on it's hips.  
  
Dobby released Harry and looked up at him earnestly.  
  
"Dobby knows that it is disrespectful to interrupt his master's eating, so he will leave. Have a Happy Christmas, Harry Potter, sir!"  
  
With that, Dobby and the other elves vanished.  
  
"Friend of yours?" Lupin asked amusedly.  
  
"Yeah," Harry said, smiling, "A very enthusiastic friend."  
  
Lupin and Dumbledore both chuckled.  
  
After lunch, Lupin and Dumbledore discussed what Lupin had done so far with the house, and Dumbledore expressed absolute delight in the fact that it had been cleaned up so nicely. After that, Lupin and Harry went back to the Black house via Floo Powder.  
  
Once they were back, Harry looked over at the waterfall picture and groaned.  
  
"We didn't tell Dumbledore about the picture!" he exclaimed.  
  
Lupin looked disappointed. "Oh...well, I guess we'll tell him next time we see him," he replied.  
  
Harry nodded. "Alright."  
  
"I'm going to get back to the study – and I don't want you going down any more passageways," Lupin told him.  
  
Harry smiled. "Okay," he agreed.  
  
Lupin left, and Harry stared at the waterfall picture. Two unicorns came and splashed playfully in the small pond. Harry felt mesmerized by their graceful movement, even in play. Finally, they frolicked out of the picture, leaving Harry to wonder about the picture.  
  
Harry looked over at the Christmas tree, which had been bending sideways to look at him. When he turned to it, it quickly snapped upright. He smiled.  
  
"I think there's something special about that picture," he told it confidentially.  
  
The tree nodded.  
  
Harry sighed and stretched out against the couch. Talking to trees wasn't such a bad thing, he decided.


	22. No Kissing

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items...nothing.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 22 – No Kissing**  
  
Harry woke up from a knock on his door.  
  
"Up, Harry," Lupin called.  
  
_Why is he waking me up this morning?_ Harry wondered as he fumbled for his glasses. Then he remembered. _Oh yeah...today we're visiting Silver_. He wondered what the mansion was going to be like. As he wandered downstairs, he wondered a lot of things, mostly about Silver. He walked into the living room and sat sleepily on the couch. The Christmas tree began to jump up and down, nearly falling over with excitement. Lupin looked up from _The Daily Prophet_.  
  
"Think it wants to say good morning," he commented.  
  
"Morning, tree," Harry yawned.  
  
The tree gave its signature quiver and then stood still.  
  
"Too tired to go?" Lupin asked teasingly.  
  
"Definitely not," Harry replied, "But I think I would have slept in this morning if you hadn't waken me."  
  
"If I was up all night playing with a certain torch, I'd be tired too," Lupin replied, smiling.  
  
Harry frowned. How had Lupin known?  
  
"Are we taking Floo Powder?" he asked, glancing at the fireplace.  
  
"Nah, I thought we'd give it a break," Lupin replied, "We're gonna take the Knight Bus."  
  
"Good," Harry said. He watched as Lupin turned the page of the newspaper. "So what are we waiting for?" he asked eagerly.  
  
Lupin looked up and grinned. "Well, it's not like I'm going to be able to read it on the bus," he said.  
  
"But don't you like a challenge?" Harry teased.  
  
"I don't ever seem to remember saying that," Lupin countered.  
  
"Aha, that's why you and your unregistered Animagi friends snuck off to the Shrieking Shack every full moon," Harry shot back.  
  
Lupin looked highly amused. "Alright," he agreed, folding up the paper, "Let's go."  
  
He and Harry went out to the curb and Lupin summoned the bus. They found, to their disappointment, that regular chairs were all that stood in the interior. They each took a seat on one, and when the bus took off, both they and all the other passengers went flying backwards. After they righted themselves, they decided that holding on to the sides of the bus was a good way to go – at the most, their chairs flew out from under them.  
  
Finally, Stan called out, "Snape Manor!"  
  
"Manor, is it?" Lupin asked as they stepped out of the bus, "Makes it sound a bit creepy, doesn't it?"  
  
"If Snape lives there, it's gotta be creepy," Harry answered.  
  
Lupin chuckled and they both surveyed the mansion in front of them. It was huge, made out of gray stone. The windows all looked dark and forbidden, and the door itself was scary. It looked like it was made out of steel. Lupin pushed a button to ring the doorbell, and they heard chimes echo throughout the house.  
  
After a few seconds, Snape opened the door. For a moment Harry thought he was going to close it in their faces, but he didn't. Instead, he surveyed them distastefully.  
  
"Good morning, Severus," Lupin said dutifully.  
  
"Good morning," Snape replied stiffly, "Follow me."  
  
He turned and began to walk away, and Lupin and Harry followed. Harry heard the door thud shut behind them. The mansion was huge – stone walls lined the interior, and it was a bit cold, like the dungeons at the school. They finally came to a big room with a huge wooden table that could sit fourteen people.  
  
"Please, have a seat," Snape said, sounding as if it was killing him to be polite.  
  
Harry's stomach rumbled loudly, and Snape looked at him as if he had committed a criminal offense.  
  
"Where's Silver?" he asked, hoping it sounded as if it were merely a polite question.  
  
"She should be downstairs soon," Snape replied coolly.  
  
As if on cue, Silver's voice rang through the house. "Are they here? Was that them?"  
  
Harry smiled at the anticipation in her voice.  
  
"In the dining room!" Snape called back up to her.  
  
"Um, I slept in – I'll be down in a second," she called down.  
  
Snape snapped his fingers and a house elf appeared instantly at his feet.  
  
"We have two guests for breakfast today," he said brusquely, "Please make accommodations."  
  
"Yes, master," the elf squeaked, and then it vanished.  
  
Snape looked up at them with a mixture of loathing and something else that Harry couldn't quite figure out. Although it was his own house, he looked a bit out of place, as if he were missing something. Harry heard footsteps and within seconds, Silver came bursting into the room, a smile lighting her face. She was slightly flushed from what seemed to be a run downstairs, and Harry thought she looked beautiful. She threw her arms around Snape with an exuberant, "Good morning!" and then proceeded to give both him and Lupin good-morning hugs.  
  
Finally, she sat down across from Harry, and Snape sat down at the head of the table. The house-elves soon appeared with what Harry had to admit was a wonderful breakfast. Silver, Lupin, and Harry chatted throughout breakfast, and occasionally tried to get a non-interested Snape involved.  
  
"I heard a rumor they're coming out with a new broomstick," Silver announced, "And that they're going to call it a Second Edition Firebolt."  
  
"Where'd you hear this?" Lupin asked.  
  
"Fred and George – they said they're friends with the person who owns the broomstick shop near their joke shop."  
  
"Really?" Harry asked excitedly, wondering why they hadn't told him, "When?"  
  
"Well, I don't know, they just told me yesterday," she replied.  
  
"When did you talk to them yesterday?" Snape inquired suspiciously.  
  
"Well, we've been in touch a bit for a few weeks," Silver replied.  
  
Harry set down his fork. Silver was writing letters to Fred and George?  
  
"In touch about what?" he accused.  
  
Snape looked at him approvingly, as if he were about to ask the same thing.  
  
"Well, just normal things," Silver replied evasively.  
  
"Such as?" Snape inquired.  
  
"_Stuff_," Silver answered defiantly.  
  
Harry and Snape both sent her accusing glares, and she blushed.  
  
"Stop it, you two, it's not like we're writing love letters or anything," she exclaimed, returning their accusing stares.  
  
Harry and Snape both relaxed in their chairs a bit. Harry felt only slightly relieved.  
  
"Why are you writing them letters?" he asked, "You haven't written me any!"  
  
Lupin and Snape both looked surprised at this fact, and Harry chose to ignore that.  
  
"W...well, I don't know how to write your letters," she replied, flustered.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
She only blushed.  
  
"Nothing. I'll send you a letter tomorrow," she muttered, taking great interest in her bacon.  
  
Harry looked at Lupin, who was smiling but looking pointedly away from Harry. He chanced a glance at Snape, who looked very happy at the fact that Silver hadn't written him any letters yet. For a moment there was silence at the table, during which Snape, Harry, and Silver began to take great interest in their food.  
  
"So, ah..." Lupin said, "How are you doing at Hogwarts, Silver?"  
  
She smiled. "Great," she replied, "I'm having a lot of fun."  
  
"That's good," Lupin said approvingly, "And your grades?"  
  
"I think they're good," she ventured.  
  
"They are," Harry assured both her and Lupin, "She gets top marks in every class, like Hermione."  
  
"Even Divination?" Lupin asked.  
  
Silver smiled. "Yes, as a matter of fact," she replied, "Even though Harry tries to kill me every time he predicts my future!"  
  
"Well, you do the same to me!" Harry protested.  
  
"If I predicted anything else, she would fail me!" Silver countered.  
  
"Oh, so you'll kill me for good grades?" Harry replied in a mock hurt tone.  
  
She laughed. "Okay, sorry Harry," she said, still giggling, "I'll give you better futures from now on, promise!"  
  
He smiled satisfactorily. "So, have you read your horoscope that she made for today?" he asked, "I've already evaded death four times. I think today I'm supposed to get trampled by a raging centaur."  
  
She giggled. "I haven't even looked at mine, but I'll go get it!"  
  
She dashed off somewhere, and Harry heard her yell, "Shut _up_, will you?" as she traveled upstairs.  
  
"The pictures talk," Snape explained.  
  
In no time, she arrived downstairs with a horoscope chart. "Hmm, what's today?" she mused, "Oh yeah!"  
  
She traced downwards with a finger, and then began to giggle and blush.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
Silver stole a glance at Snape before replying. "Well, today I am going to share a passionate kiss with a handsome young man," she answered in a theatrical tone.  
  
Harry grinned and blushed, and Lupin chuckled.  
  
"Is that really what it says?" Lupin asked.  
  
"Word for word," she replied, handing the chart over to him.  
  
"Rubbish," Snape declared, not looking the least bit amused. He glared at Harry, who immediately tried to look innocent.  
  
"Oh, come on, it _is_ funny," Silver coaxed.  
  
Snape still looked as if it were a proclamation of death for Silver.  
  
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Snape snapped to attention.  
  
"Damn," he muttered under his breath. He turned on Harry and Lupin.  
  
"You two – in there," he pointed to a cupboard in the corner of the room. "And don't you dare so much as breathe."  
  
Harry and Lupin obeyed quickly, both of them seeing the look in Snape's eye. He turned to Silver.  
  
"Up in your room, close and lock the door and window, and put as many charms on them as you can to keep anyone from getting in," he directed.  
  
"But I'm not of age," Silver protested.  
  
"You will go up there and do as I say, and not worry about petty laws designed to keep children from hexing each other," Snape replied.  
  
Silver nodded and scurried off in toward the staircase.  
  
Snape snapped his fingers and a house-elf appeared.  
  
"You will leave no evidence that anyone was here except for me. You will act as if nobody but myself has been in this house for years. You will not give any clues as to the fact that we have had guests recently," he directed, "And above all, you will prevent anybody from getting into the bedroom upstairs where she is staying. I don't care what you have to do, just keep everybody away."  
  
"Yes, master," the elf squeaked immediately as he disappeared.  
  
Snape swept off toward the doorway. Harry and Lupin exchanged glances from within the cupboard, and opened the doors just a crack so they could hear.  
  
"Ah, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Snape asked.  
  
"Well, we just thought you might be lonely," a voice responded. It only took Harry a second to recognize that voice. It was Lestrange. He made to burst out of the cupboard, but Lupin held him back forcefully. Harry successfully succeeded in making a lot of racket as Lupin struggled for his wand and pointed it at him "_Petrificus Totalus_," he whispered. Harry's arms snapped to his side and he went rigid. Lupin propped him up against a corner.  
  
"Sorry, Harry, but at least I didn't stun you," Lupin whispered.  
  
Harry decided to personally murder Lupin once he was able to move freely once more.  
  
"Goodness, Severus, what was all that racket?" asked a second woman. Harry recognized her as Narcissa.  
  
"Incompetent house-elf," Snape answered smoothly.  
  
Harry tried to move, to do anything to get out of the cupboard, but he could not so much as move a muscle. He was also in a very uncomfortable position, with his right shoulder supporting most of his weight. He heard them entering the room and began to get desperate. He tried to make his body sway...that way, if he hit the doors of the cupboard, they would open, and then he would...well, he would know what he would do when he got out of there!  
  
"Don't do anything stupid, Harry," Lupin whispered.  
  
_Like kill you?_ Harry thought back angrily, _Because that's exactly what I intend to do_.  
  
"Are you ladies hungry?" Snape inquired politely.  
  
"Oh, no, not much," Narcissa replied.  
  
"And what about you, young Mr. Malfoy?" Snape inquired.  
  
Harry tipped forward dangerously, still trying to get out, and Lupin put a hand on his chest to hold him back. _Malfoy's here?_ Harry thought, _If it wasn't for dratted Lupin I could kill him_ and _Lestrange!  
_  
"No thanks, sir," Malfoy replied carelessly.  
  
"So, what brings you here?" Snape asked.  
  
"Well, we were wondering if the Dark Lord has summoned you yet," Lestrange replied, "The Potter boy is gone from Hogwarts, and so are you!"  
  
"I left on Dumbledore's orders, and there was nothing I could do to find Potter without getting fired," Snape replied, anger lacing his voice.  
  
"Yes, yes, but do you really think the Dark Lord will find that an excuse?" Narcissa replied, almost laughingly.  
  
Snape made a noise somewhat like a growl.  
  
"Do you have business here or not?" he snapped.  
  
"Goodness, Snape, don't get so aggravated," Lestrange teased, "You'll raise your blood pressure."  
  
"Bellatrix," Narcissa snapped, "Stop it. We need his help, remember?"  
  
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry," Lestrange said in a very non-convincing voice.  
  
"Anyway, Snape," Narcissa said in a sugary voice, "We need your help. We're still on the lookout for that girl – you know the one I'm talking about?"  
  
Harry knew Snape had nodded.  
  
"Well, yes, she's managed to hide very well, and we really need to find her, or we'll..." Narcissa's voice became teary, "Well, poor Draco might become an orphan. The Dark Lord is very upset."  
  
Harry would have laughed if he could have managed it. He doubted Draco depended on his mother much, anyway.  
  
"I don't see a search party going out for Potter," Snape replied, sounding aggravated, "I do believe the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord is more important than a fifteen year old girl?"  
  
"She knows things she should never have known," Lestrange said, her voice harsh, "And she will be punished."  
  
"I'll keep a lookout," Snape said, not sounding very promising, "And if I see any suspicious girls, I'll let you know. Her name?"  
  
"Silver," Lestrange supplied, "She won't be using her surname...trust me."  
  
"Well, may I escort you lovely ladies to the door?" Snape asked, "I have many potions to brew."  
  
"Yes, yes, come along, Draco," Narcissa beckoned. Harry was unable to move, and Lupin simply didn't, until they heard the front door closed. Lupin pushed open the cabinet doors and dragged a petrified Harry out.  
  
Harry struggled to break free from the invisible force binding him. He could still catch up – he could still make her pay for what she did to Sirius...what she wanted to do to Silver...  
  
Snape walked back in and looked from Lupin to the petrified Harry with amusement. He pointed his wand at Harry and muttered something under his breath, and Harry was free. He ran for the exit, but Snape caught him by the shoulders and forced him down into a chair. Harry flailed his legs and arms wildly, trying to get away.  
  
"Potter," Snape demanded.  
  
"LET ME GO!"  
  
"Potter," he hissed, bringing his face close to Harry's.  
  
Harry had half a mind to spit in his face and go after Lestrange. After a few more minutes of screaming at the top of his lungs and attempting to hurt Snape in any way possible, he sank into a sullen silence.  
  
"Do you really have that little self-control, Potter?" Snape asked, his tone menacing.  
  
"She deserves to die," Harry replied hotly, "She deserves to..."  
  
"You think I don't know what she deserves?" Snape asked, his voice a notch louder than usual.  
  
Harry stopped and stared at Snape, not comprehending what he was saying. Snape had hated Sirius...why would he be upset with Lestrange?  
  
"I have watched that woman torture countless innocent people," Snape said, his voice harsh and his fingers digging into Harry's shoulder, "Including Silver. Do you really think that I don't want to kill her as much as you do?"  
  
Harry considered Snape carefully for a moment.  
  
"She hurt Silver?" he choked.  
  
"Many times," Snape replied.  
  
Harry knew that Snape cared for Silver immensely, however much he tried to hide it. He also knew that losing Silver would come as a blow to Snape – but would it hurt him as much as it had hurt Harry to lose Sirius? Harry doubted it.  
  
"Potter, listen to me," Snape said, catching his attention once more, "You need desperately to learn self-control. Has Occlumency not taught you anything? From what Dumbledore has told me of your accomplishments, one would think you would be able to refrain from doing something rash at least once in a while."  
  
"Why would I want to?" Harry argued, "She deserves to die, _now_."  
  
"Yes," Snape agreed, "She does. But do you think you, a sixteen year old wizard could defeat two seasoned Death Eaters on your own? Come now, surely you are not that foolish."  
  
"You and Lupin would have helped me," Harry replied, "We could have killed her, she could be dead right now!"  
  
"Stop it!" Snape snapped, shaking him slightly, "Stop being so rash and thoughtless. Think about the consequences of your actions. Think about how Silver would feel if she came downstairs and saw you, dead or injured, at the hand of Lestrange."  
  
Harry felt rage bubbling up inside of him. Who was Snape to tell him these things? Who cared how Lestrange was killed, as long as she was dead?  
  
"Let go of me," he said.  
  
"I will not let go of you, because you _still_ have not managed to gain control of yourself," Snape answered firmly.  
  
Harry glared at him. For what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes, they sat there, Snape not relinquishing his hold on him one bit. Harry felt his anger simmer down only slightly in those minutes. Maybe Snape was right about Silver. If he had just burst out of the cupboard, there was a chance he would have gotten hurt, and Silver would have been beside herself. He suddenly felt heat rise to his face as he remembered that he had been trying to break out of the cupboard while he was petrified. That would not have gone over well at all.  
  
"Are you ready to go get Silver?" Snape asked.  
  
Harry looked up into Snape's eyes, which blinked back at him with evident hatred. He doubted his own eyes were much friendlier.  
  
"Yes," he said, rather defiantly.  
  
Snape released him and stood back, watching him for a moment as if afraid he might make a dash to the door. Then he nodded curtly.  
  
"Follow me, both of you," he directed.  
  
Lupin and Harry fell into step behind him, and Lupin placed a much friendlier hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry glared at him and pulled away from his hand. He was still mad at him, although he knew that Lupin had made the right decision.  
  
They stopped in front of a white door, and Snape knocked.  
  
"Potter is here to see you. Remus and I will be in my lab," he announced.  
  
Without another word, he strode off, Lupin following him. Harry heard the click of a lock being opened, and then a flash of blue light, and then Silver opened the door.  
  
"Hi, Harry," she said, her features traced over with worry, "What happened?"  
  
Harry explained to her who had come and what they had said, leaving out the part about having to be petrified. When he finished, he looked up at an ashen Silver.  
  
"S...she came _here_?" she asked, looking horrified.  
  
"Yeah," Harry replied.  
  
Silver looked as if she were about to faint.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"Y...yes, I just c...can't believe she c...came here," Silver replied.  
  
They were sitting on the edge of her bed, and suddenly Silver scooted closer to him and leaned against him. Surprised, he put an arm around her.  
  
"I'm glad you're safe, Harry," she whispered.  
  
"Course I am," he replied, surprised.  
  
"Well, it's just that I thought you might do something...hasty...when you saw Lestrange. But I'm proud of you, you didn't."  
  
He felt a guilty blush rising to his cheeks. "Well, maybe I left something out," he admitted.  
  
"Such as?" she asked, taking her head off of his chest.  
  
"Uh, Lupin had to petrify me?" he tried.  
  
She burst into giggles as she laid her head against him once more.  
  
"Oh, Harry," she laughed, "You're so funny."  
  
He grinned and pulled her closer. She turned to look up at him, smiling. He bent towards her, and suddenly they heard a screech from the hallway.  
  
"MASTER! MASTER!"  
  
They both looked out the open door in the hallway, where a lady in a picture was jumping up and down and pointing at them, screaming for Snape at the top of her lungs. Silver rolled her eyes, got up, and shut the door. If Harry wasn't mistaken, he heard a lock click into place as well.  
  
"Those pictures are so annoying," she said, sitting on the bed, "I don't know why they're always trying to act like something bad is happening."  
  
Harry began to pull her closer, but she hardly noticed.  
  
"You'd think after having me for almost a week, they'd..."  
  
She paused as Harry put his hand under her chin and turned her towards him.  
  
"get...used to me," she finished quietly as Harry lowered his lips to hers.  
  
To Harry's surprise, Silver kissed him back with more...gusto...than usual. He nearly jumped from shock, but instead decided that it was a good thing. She ran a hand through his hair, surprising but pleasing him, and her other arm took up its usual hold around his neck. He only barely heard Snape's voice outside.  
  
"What in the name of Merlin? _Alohomora_!"  
  
He didn't hear the door swing open, and apparently Silver didn't either, because her hand was still in his hair, and her arm around his neck.  
  
"POTTER!"  
  
That, he heard. Silver didn't appear to, however. He pulled away from her, and she opened her eyes, puzzled.  
  
"Harry," she said quietly, beginning to lean towards him once more.  
  
"_What_ are you _doing_?" Snape demanded.  
  
She jumped away from him as if he had electrocuted her, her face becoming a brilliant crimson. The lady in the picture outside answered.  
  
"He rough-handed, her, sir, and she had no choice but to give in to somebody so much stronger than she!"  
  
He glared at the lady, and so did Silver. Snape looked about ready to throw him out the closed window.  
  
"No, he didn't," Silver answered.  
  
Harry thought it strange that Snape would actually believe the picture. He chanced a glance at Lupin, who was failing horribly to hide a grin. He winked at Harry and then put on a straight face as he talked to Snape.  
  
"Severus, surely you could...erm..._see_...that Harry wasn't _forcing_ her to do anything," Lupin commented.  
  
Snape looked insulted, and then angry as he looked at Silver, who cringed under his glare.  
  
"Come," he said gruffly, turning and walking away.  
  
The remaining three immediately followed him through the hallways that he seemed to know quite well. All the while, he muttered things under his breath like, "Can't leave you alone for five minutes...don't know what you were thinking..._kissing_..." Harry thought he sounded a bit like Mrs. Weasley, but didn't think Snape would appreciate the comment, so he kept it to himself.  
  
They finally arrived in what looked like a very dangerous potions lab. Snape turned on Silver and Harry.  
  
"You two...sit on couch...touch nothing..." he seemed too angry to speak in full sentences.  
  
Lupin winked at Harry as they sat down, and Harry grinned, but they only earned themselves an eye-roll from Silver.  
  
"As I was saying," Snape said to Lupin, having recovered himself successfully, "I may be able to make you at least half a year's worth of supply, and by that time I will have more ready for you."  
  
Snape was stirring a thick gray potion, carefully adding ingredients to it every few seconds.  
  
"Thank you, Severus," Lupin replied, "What do you charge?"  
  
Snape's head snapped up and he looked at Lupin as if he had just slapped him.  
  
"I don't charge," he answered.  
  
"Oh, come now," Lupin protested, rather boldly in Harry's opinion, "That potion requires great effort, and an even greater cost for the supplies! You want no pay?"  
  
"No," Snape answered firmly, "And if you insist on paying me, I will simply quit making it for you."  
  
Harry and Lupin exchanged shocked glances, but Silver smiled.  
  
"See?" she whispered, "He's not a git!"  
  
Harry smiled.  
  
"Well," Lupin commented suddenly, "I believe your horoscope came true, didn't it?"  
  
Silver giggled and blushed. "Yep," she replied.  
  
They all chanced a glance at Snape, who commented, "I thought it said a _handsome_ boy."  
  
They burst into laughter, even Harry. Snape's tone of voice was priceless.  
  
"Harry _is_ handsome," Silver defended, putting her arms around him.  
  
Harry grinned a bit cheekily up at Snape, who gave him a withering look.  
  
"Like James..." Lupin said quietly.  
  
Unfortunately, however, Snape heard him.  
  
"And that is something to be proud of?" he asked cuttingly.  
  
Harry could almost see Lupin's temper rise. "Yes, it is," Lupin replied.  
  
"Why would he want to be anything like that arrogant, conceited..."  
  
"James wasn't arrogant! Or conceited!"  
  
"Well you never would have guessed from the way he strutted around like he owned the place, putting people's lives in danger..."  
  
"HE SAVED YOUR LIFE!"  
  
"Only because he was a COWARD!"  
  
"HE WAS A MAN OF MORALS, AND HE SAVED YOUR PATHETIC HIDE EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE A COMPLETE SLIMEBALL –"  
  
"I AM NOT – WAS NOT – A SLIMEBALL!"  
  
"Stop it, both of you!" Silver's voice somehow managed to silence the two fuming men, who were now shooting each other looks of pure hatred.  
  
"Remus," Silver said calmly, "You have to understand that he doesn't know James the way you do. He only knows the way he was treated by James when James was a teenager. And please refrain from name-calling."  
  
Lupin looked a bit stunned that a teenage girl was talking to him as if he were a very small child who had just gotten in a fight with his friends.  
  
She then turned to Snape. "And you must understand that James did, indeed, save your life. He showed courage and compassion for his enemies, which is something that not all people possess, and that Harry should be proud to have inherited," she paused and shot a smile at Harry, "And also, the James you knew was a teenager, a prankster, who had very different ideals than the man he became later on."  
  
She looked from Lupin to Snape, who both looked much calmer.  
  
"Now, I believe apologies are in order," she said.  
  
The two men looked at each other with a glare that was a bit less hateful than the ones they had been previously shooting each other.  
  
"I'm sorry for insulting you," Lupin grumbled.  
  
"Sorry for insulting James," Snape muttered back, pouring the gray potion into a large jar and holding it out to Lupin as a kind of peace offering.  
  
"Thank you," Lupin said, looking at the potion, "Very much."  
  
The two men surveyed each other for a moment, and then Snape abruptly spoke, looking at Silver.  
  
"I'm sure Potter would like to be shown around the mansion while we discuss some things for the Order," he said.  
  
Silver nodded and stood up.  
  
They had barely walked out the door when Snape shouted behind them.  
  
"And no kissing!"


	23. Twas the Night Before Christmas

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's people, places, or items.

-------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 23 – 'Twas the Night Before Christmas...**  
  
Harry woke up early, trying to think of what exactly what was important about that day. Frowning, he reached for his glasses and slid them on. He opened the drawer of his bedstand and took out the torch, which gleamed. He lit it up and played with it a few seconds before he remembered. _Christmas Eve!_ He thought, _Tomorrow everyone will be coming over!_ He really wanted to see Ron again; he had been getting progressively more bored since they had come home from visiting Silver on Wednesday.  
  
He set the torch down briefly on his bed, and it practically ignited the room in protest.  
  
"Ouch!" he cried, putting his hands over his eyes, "Stop it!"  
  
Immediately the light vanished. He glared down at it.  
  
"Gosh, do you mind if I get dressed?"  
  
He paused a second and thought about what he had just said.  
  
"God help me, I'm talking to a torch."  
  
After he had dressed, he picked it up, slipped it into his pocket, and headed downstairs. Lupin had given up on cooking completely by now, and there were a few nice burn marks on the counters and stove for Mrs. Weasley to take care of when she came over. Harry poured the last of the Frosted Flakes into a bowl, seeing from the dirty bowl in the sink that Lupin had already eaten.  
  
He sat at the table and grabbed a page of the Daily Prophet that Lupin had left on the table. He glanced through...nothing interesting, no wonder he had left it. Lupin was, no doubt, still going through various items in the study. Harry decided that maybe, today, since he was so bored, it wouldn't be so bad to floo his head over to Ron's fire to talk for a while. He wandered into the living room after breakfast and decided to do it.  
  
He grabbed some Floo Powder, threw it in, and then knelt down and stuck his head in the fire.  
  
"The Burrow!" he commanded.  
  
He felt momentarily sick as his head began to seem to spin on its own, as if it had come detached from his shoulders. Finally, though, it stopped, and he was looking into the Weasley's living room. Ginny was sitting on the couch reading a book. Grinning evilly, he greeted her.  
  
"Ginny!"  
  
Ginny screamed and jumped about three feet off the couch, glaring at him when she landed. He couldn't help but laugh, which resulted in him coughing, because he had inhaled some ash. She smiled at him satisfactorily.  
  
"That's what you get for scaring me!" she told him, "I suppose you want to talk to Ron?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Alright, I'll see if I can tear him away from his picture of his precious Hermione."  
  
Harry sniggered as she left, remembering to lift his head up so he wouldn't inhale anything he didn't want to. After a few seconds, he heard what was unmistakably Ron charging down the stairs, and then bursting into the room.  
  
"Hey, Harry – wow, your head looks weird!"  
  
"Gee, thanks," Harry answered dryly.  
  
Ron smiled. "I meant because it's not attached to your shoulders, mate."  
  
"I know," Harry assured him, "So anyway, how are you?"  
  
"Pretty good. You must be bored if you've decided to floo your head over."  
  
"I am," Harry replied, "Even though we have pictures that tell the future, a Christmas tree with a personality, and now a torch with...well, something."  
  
"A torch?" Ron echoed, "What torch?"  
  
Harry told him the story of the secret passageway in Sirius' room, and where it had led to, and, eventually, the meeting with Dumbledore about the torch. When he finished, Ron was stunned.  
  
"Wow, mate, I can't wait to see it!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Well, I can do some pretty neat things with it," Harry admitted.  
  
"Mum says you and Lupin visited Snape's _house_," Ron said suddenly.  
  
"Yeah..." Harry said, proceeding to tell him of how Narcissa and Bellatrix had walked in on their breakfast.  
  
"How can you be bored?" Ron asked indignantly, "So many things have happened to you already!"  
  
"Yeah, getting petrified is really interesting," Harry replied sarcastically, much to Ron's amusement.  
  
"Well, you managed to stay on Snape's good side, right?" Ron asked.  
  
"Uh, not exactly," Harry answered, blushing, "He kind of walked in on me and Silver..."  
  
"What were you doing?" Ron asked excitedly, "Snogging?"  
  
"No, we only kissed once!" Harry replied defensively, "The stupid picture in the hallway ratted us out."  
  
Ron sniggered. "Wow, Harry, you're lucky to be in one piece," he said, sounding impressed, "So were you _going_ to snog her?"  
  
"I don't know," Harry said exasperatedly, "It wasn't really on my mind."  
  
"Oh, sure, what was then?" Ron asked.  
  
"I don't know – her?" Harry said, a bit confused now.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "Come on, Harry, you're the only one she'd ever snog, and all the guys at Hogwarts would give their right arm just to kiss her on the cheek!"  
  
"Well have you snogged Hermione?" Harry countered.  
  
"Well...no...but that's different!"  
  
"Yeah, you've only known each other what, six years?"  
  
"Yeah, well at least _we're_ an official couple."  
  
"You're _what_?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"I owled her asking her on Tuesday and she said yes," Ron answered smugly.  
  
Harry glared at him.  
  
"Come on, Harry, why haven't you asked her already? She's bound to say yes," Ron encouraged once the smugness had left his face.  
  
Harry didn't answer. Why _hadn't_ he asked her? She would say yes...wouldn't she? He inwardly groaned. He hadn't asked her because he was afraid she would say no.  
  
"Uh, Harry?" Ron probed, "Did you hear me?"  
  
"I guess I just thought she'd say no," Harry admitted sheepishly.  
  
Ron snorted. "Yeah, right. You should see the way she looks at you sometimes. You're, like, her hero or something."  
  
Ron put a hand on his forehead and pretended to swoon down in a faint to the floor, batting his eyelashes and saying in a high, girly voice, "Harry, my hero! I need you! I loooovve you, Harry..."  
  
"Alright, alright," Harry said, grinning despite himself, "I get it."  
  
Ron looked up with a grin from the floor and got into a sitting position. Harry's knees were becoming uncomfortable.  
  
"Ah, my knees hurt," he complained.  
  
"Stop complaining," Ron answered.  
  
"You try kneeling with your head in the fire," Harry shot back, "It's very uncomfortable."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Ron said, grinning, "So, when I get over there are we going to go down that staircase or what?"  
  
Harry grinned mischievously. "We sure are," he confirmed.  
  
Ron's smile had the slightly evil look that Fred and George's got when they were planning a prank.  
  
"Excellent," he replied, "I wonder where all the other ones lead to."  
  
"I bet you they lead to other people's houses," Harry replied, "It would make sense – apparently Lestrange and Narcissa are spending a lot of time together, so they probably came down from Narcissa's house. I bet all the houses of the dark families are linked."  
  
Ron suddenly frowned. "But wouldn't Lestrange know, then? She could just walk in on headquarters any time."  
  
"Well, maybe she wouldn't because it's Sirius' room," Harry said.  
  
"What did Dumbledore say?" Ron asked.  
  
"Well, I never exactly told him about all the staircases, but he had to figure it out, because I told him that Lestrange and Narcissa came in, and he didn't say anything."  
  
Ron and Harry exchanged glances. They knew that revealing the information about the other staircases would lead to the passageway being sealed off from Sirius' room; therefore making it impossible to go down and explore. On the other hand, nothing had happened yet, so who were they to disrupt the natural order of things?  
  
"Well, I guess...maybe...after we go down, we'll tell them," Ron said.  
  
"Uh, yeah," Harry agreed halfheartedly. Suddenly he felt a pecking on his back, making him jump and cough up the ashes he accidentally took in when he did so.  
  
"Um, I gotta go. My knees really hurt and I think I got a letter," he explained.  
  
"From lovergirl, no doubt," Ron teased, "See you later."  
  
"Bye," Harry replied, pulling his head out of the fire.  
  
Instead of Hedwig, it was a brown barn owl, holding a letter with Lupin's name on it.  
  
"Uh, sorry, I'm not Remus," Harry told the owl, "Follow me."  
  
He led the owl to the study, and then opened the door to let it deliver the letter. Lupin paid the owl and then opened it. As he read, he frowned. Finally he set the letter down, looking unhappy.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.  
  
"Voldemort summoned Snape. He had to leave immediately, and he wants us to go get Silver right away, seeing as she's there by herself and he feels that Lestrange or Narcissa may want to drop by while he's not home. Come on, we'll use Floo Powder."  
  
Harry followed Lupin back to the living room.  
  
"Silver's not going to be happy," he commented.  
  
"Probably not," Lupin agreed, "But the important thing is that she's safe."  
  
He handed some Floo Powder to Harry. Harry threw it in, stepped forward, and said, "The Snape Manor!"  
  
He was very proud of himself for landing on his feet, but not so proud of himself for having no clue where he was. Lupin seemed to be thinking along the same lines when he arrived behind Harry.  
  
"Have any clue where we are?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Nope," Harry replied.  
  
They walked out of the room and almost immediately saw a staircase. As they walked up, Lupin called for Silver.  
  
"Silver? It's us!"  
  
"I'm in my room!" she called back.  
  
They exchanged glances.  
  
"Where's her room?" Lupin asked.  
  
"How am I supposed to know?" Harry replied.  
  
"Well, you were kissing her in it," Lupin insisted.  
  
"Oh, so now I have a radar in my head that tells me where it is," Harry answered sarcastically.  
  
Lupin laughed. "Okay, okay, I get it."  
  
They walked in the direction of Silver's voice, and saw an open door. Upon looking in it, they could see that it was indeed Silver – a very upset Silver. She slammed her trunk shut angrily and then turned to them. For a moment, she looked like she was going to yell at them, but then she stepped into Harry's arms, her eyes tearing up.  
  
"I...hate...Voldemort," she whispered into the front of his shirt.  
  
"I know," Harry assured her, "So do I."  
  
"He...he just...took him away...on Christmas Eve," she whimpered.  
  
"It's early yet," Lupin said reassuringly, "He might be back in time."  
  
She nodded and pulled away from Harry. "I hope so," she said quietly.  
  
She looked over at the window, and seemed to be concentrating very hard. Suddenly Esperanza swooped through, a dead mouse in his beak.  
  
"Sick, spit it out," Silver ordered.  
  
Giving her a reproachful look, Esperanza dropped the mouse out the window.  
  
"I don't care if it's what you usually eat, it's disgusting," Silver said, "Now get in your cage."  
  
Esperanza hooted and didn't budge.  
  
"We have to go, Esp, come on," she said, "Please?"  
  
The owl hooted as it flew into its cage, which Lupin carried, while Harry carried her trunk.  
  
"Uh, which way was the fireplace?" Lupin asked sheepishly once they had come out of her room.  
  
"This way," she answered, walking ahead of them.  
  
She led them to the room they had just come from with ease. Harry could see that she knew her way around the house quite well. There were three jars sitting on the mantle. She picked up one and peered into it.  
  
"Ugh, not this one," she said, replacing it, "It smells horrid."  
  
She picked up a second one. "I think this is it," she said hesitantly, looking at the fire, "You might want to step back, just in case, though."  
  
Lupin and Harry stepped forward protectively as she threw a pinch into the fire. To Harry's relief, the flames turned green.  
  
"In you go, then," Lupin directed her.  
  
She stepped in and said clearly, "Twelve, Grimmauld Place."  
  
The next second, she was gone. Harry threw some powder in, dragged the trunk in after him, and followed suit.  
  
Once he stumbled out of the fireplace, only not falling because of his grip on the trunk, he heard a giggle. He dragged the trunk out of the fire and looked up at her. Their Christmas tree was bowing imperially to her. Lupin arrived in time to see the scene. He grinned.  
  
"May we introduce you to our Christmas tree," he said.  
  
"It's so cute!" Silver exclaimed, as it straightened and extended one of it's long branches to her.  
  
Harry wasn't sure if cute would be exactly the word he would have used to describe it, but it did have a certain charm. Silver extended her hand, and the tree bent over again in what was unmistakably a kiss.  
  
"I think it likes you," Harry said, grinning.  
  
She giggled again, and Harry was pleased that she didn't seem nearly so upset.  
  
"Let's get your things up to your room," Lupin said.  
  
Harry let the other two go first, and then looked at the tree skeptically.  
  
"Thanks for cheering her up," he told it finally.  
  
The tree gave a little shake and what appeared to be a nod. Harry shook his head, still not knowing if he was wholly comfortable with talking to the tree as if it were a person, and followed them up the stairs. When Lupin began to head to Sirius' room, Harry thought of the secret passageway. If his theory had been correct, and there were other houses connected to that passageway, he wasn't sure he wanted her staying there.  
  
"Um, aren't you going to stay in the girl's room now that you and Hermione are getting along?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Oh..." she said, "Um..."  
  
"Well, its better that she stays in here, Harry, because we took the extra bed out of that room," Lupin replied, "She'll have to sleep in here anyway."  
  
"Oh," Harry replied, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in his stomach.  
  
After she set down her things, he practically dragged her from the room, eying the closet uneasily the whole time.  
  
"Harry, is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"No, I just want to show you some new pictures we got in the living room," he said.  
  
She gave him an odd look.  
  
"One of them has horses," he tempted.  
  
"Ooh, really?" she asked, allowing him to lead her more freely.  
  
"Yep, and you see some unicorns in the other one, whenever they wander in. And centaurs..." he paused, wondering whether he should mention the fact that she had also appeared in the picture.  
  
He decided not to worry her by telling her. At the mention of unicorns, he had really gotten her attention, and now it was her dragging him down the stairs. When they arrived in the living room, a butterfly was flying around in the waterfall picture, but, to Silver's disappointment, no unicorns.  
  
"Oh, you got my hopes up and everything," she said disappointedly.  
  
"I didn't say they were there all the time," he defended himself.  
  
She smiled. "No, I don't suppose you did. These horses are beautiful, though."  
  
She was gazing at the farmhouse picture, a smile playing across her lips. Two of the horses in the picture were chasing each other around, and another one was rearing up in hopes of a playmate. The rest were grazing peacefully.  
  
"You don't like the cows?" he teased.  
  
She giggled. "No, you can have them all to yourself," she answered.  
  
He grinned. "No way. You'll have to fight me for the horses," he proposed.  
  
She looked over at him. "Trust me, Harry Potter, you don't want to take me on," she replied seriously.  
  
Harry wiped his face equally straight. "Oh, yes I do," he replied solemnly.  
  
"And what, exactly, are you planning on doing?" she inquired.  
  
"Well, I'm not sure, but I was thinking something like...this!"  
  
He jumped towards her and began to tickle her. She squealed in protest.  
  
"No fair!" she cried, "You didn't give me any warning!"  
  
"All's fair in love and war," he reminded her cheerfully.  
  
She tried to evade him, but he followed her over to the couch. Finally, with a well-placed shove, she managed to trip him, making him fall backwards onto the couch. He could only laugh, half because it was evident that she had not done it on purpose, and half because her laugh was contagious. She plopped down on the other side of the couch near his feet.  
  
"Oh...Harry...oh...my goodness," she laughed, unable to stop.  
  
He grinned, very pleased with himself for making her so happy. He had never seen her laugh so much, and he knew that he was the only one who could make her do so. Finally, stopped and wiped the tears that had come to her eyes from laughing so hard. She looked at him, beaming, and he smiled back, sitting up and scooting over to her. She warily began to move away, causing him to chuckle.  
  
"I won't tickle you, I promise," he vowed.  
  
She allowed him to scoot over to her and put his arm around her.  
  
"Can I ask you something?" he asked, trying to suck up courage.  
  
"Mm-hmm," she replied, contentedly leaning against him.  
  
"Well, I was wondering...if you maybe wanted...to be my girlfriend?" he winced as he said the last part, as if he were expecting a slap.  
  
"Of course," she replied.  
  
His eyes widened. "Seriously?" he asked.  
  
She looked up at him bemusedly. "Did you expect me to say no?" she asked.  
  
"Yes...no...well, kind of," he admitted.  
  
She smiled. "You're so silly sometimes," she chided halfheartedly as she lay her head back down against him.  
  
Although she was in his arms, he could feel her thoughts drift elsewhere.  
  
"Snape'll be back for Christmas," he told her, squeezing her.  
  
"I wonder how sore he's going to be," she replied, "I hear Voldemort's not in a very good mood."  
  
"Well, he chose to do it," he reminded her, "And he has no way to get out of it."  
  
"I know," she said, "I just wish that there was."  
  
Harry didn't quite understand her devotion to Snape, but he knew that if it was important to her, it was important to him.  
  
"Me too," he agreed.  
  
She put her arms around him.  
  
"Harry," she said quietly, "It's not the fact that you said that that makes me feel better – it's the fact that I can tell you're telling the truth."  
  
Harry wasn't sure how to respond, so he just tightened his arms around her for a moment.  
  
"So, kids!" Lupin suddenly exclaimed.  
  
They jumped apart, surprised at his sudden entrance. He walked in with a smile, unaware that he had interrupted anything.  
  
"You two going to help me decorate or what?" he asked.  
  
They exchanged grins and got up to help. In the end, Lupin and Harry ended up with bows stuck all over them (Silver's work), and they finally managed to place a gold wreath above her head, which Lupin stuck on with a sticking charm as he and Harry took all their bows off.  
  
"No fair, you're using magic," she complained, refusing to face them with the wreath on.  
  
"Come on, just let us see and I'll take it off," Lupin promised, while Harry sniggered.  
  
She turned around, and they exchanged glances. It hadn't had quite the effect they wanted. Rather than looking completely ridiculous, although she did to some extent, the shiny gold of the wreath illuminated her face, making her look like a pouting angel.  
  
"Aw, are you sure you want it off?" Lupin teased, "It looks kind of good on you."  
  
"It most certainly does not!" she exclaimed defiantly, although she hadn't seen herself with it.  
  
"Alright, alright," Lupin replied, and with a flick of his wand and a toss of her head, it fell to the floor.  
  
Lupin enlisted Harry's help in hanging it on the door, and when they turned around they found that Silver was still scowling.  
  
"Oh, come on," Harry prompted, "It really didn't look bad anyway!"  
  
"Yes it did!" she replied, giving him an evil glare.  
  
He and Lupin looked at each other and shrugged. Then the three surveyed their work. The house looked very nice, especially the tree, which had refused to let anybody but Silver decorate it.  
  
"The tree looks best," Silver told them smugly.  
  
"Well, when you have a tree that can adjust the ornaments you put on, it tends to look nice," Lupin teased.  
  
She glared at him, but they all knew she didn't mean it. Harry glanced at the mistletoe that was hanging underneath the doorway. He boldly grabbed her hands and dragged her underneath it.  
  
She giggled, not realizing what he was doing. "Harry, what are you –"she began.  
  
Harry looked up and feigned shock. "Oh no!" he exclaimed, pointing upwards.  
  
She looked up and he saw a sparkle in her eyes when she saw the mistletoe.  
  
"Well, guess we only have one choice," he said, as if he would rather do anything else.  
  
She giggled again and let him pull her closer, but a loud crack interrupted.  
  
Snape appeared in the middle of their living room, looking as if he was on the hunt for someone smaller than him so that he could beat them to a pulp.  
  
Silver whisked out of Harry's arms and gingerly hugged Snape, who winced even with her gentleness.  
  
"Severus," Lupin said, sounding surprised, "Back already?"  
  
"Yes," Snape said bitterly, "All I had to do was get my punishment."  
  
Lupin looked as if he wasn't quite sure what to say to this. Then he seemed to get an idea.  
  
"I'll be right back," he informed them, and he disappeared off to the kitchen.  
  
"Are you okay?" Silver asked Snape, worry evident in her eyes.  
  
He looked down at her and patted her head awkwardly.  
  
"I'll be fine," he replied tiredly.  
  
Lupin reappeared holding a vial of something green.  
  
"Muscle Relief Potion," he announced, holding it out to Snape.  
  
"Where'd you get it?" Snape asked as he took it and examined it closely.  
  
"Uh, I have no idea," Lupin answered truthfully, "But I doubt it's poisoned, so drink it."  
  
Snape still looked a bit suspicious as he drank it, but after the first cautious sip he gulped it down. When the vial was empty to the last drop, Snape handed it back.  
  
"Maybe I can sit down now," he commented, taking a seat on the couch.  
  
Silver cautiously climbed on beside him and laid her head on his shoulder. Snape looked down at her amusedly.  
  
"I'm fine, you know," he informed her.  
  
"Of course you're not," she answered, putting her arms around him.  
  
He made an annoyed noise, which caused her to giggle.  
  
"Okay, apparently you are fine," she said, pulling back and looking at him.  
  
"What makes you say that?" he replied.  
  
"Oh, only the fact that you're annoyed with me," she answered innocently.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized, and he sounded sincere.  
  
"Don't be," she replied, smiling, "It's Christmas!"  
  
Lupin and Harry sat down on the couch opposite them.  
  
Snape glanced at the clock, and then at Silver, who was stifling a yawn.  
  
"Bedtime," he informed her.  
  
"But I'm not tired!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, really?" he asked sarcastically, "So you just yawn when you're wide awake?"  
  
"Yes," was her defiant answer.  
  
"Off to bed with you," he said, "It's eleven o' clock."  
  
"But Harry doesn't have to go to bed!" she protested.  
  
"Well, you do," he answered.  
  
"What if I just lay down with my eyes closed?" she begged.  
  
"You'll be out in five minutes flat."  
  
"No I won't!"  
  
Snape regarded her with amusement.  
  
"Fine," he agreed, "But if I break my back carrying you up to bed..."  
  
"I won't fall asleep!" she protested.  
  
"Lay down then, if you must," he said, "But I don't want to see your eyes open!"  
  
She shook her head solemnly and lay down.  
  
Snape rolled his eyes. He and Lupin took up a conversation about Muscle Relief Potions while Harry watched Silver. In less than three minutes, her breathing had deepened and evened out, and it was obvious that she was asleep.  
  
"She's asleep," he announced, interrupting Snape and Lupin.  
  
"Indeed," Snape said, without a trace of surprise in his voice.  
  
"She's a stubborn one," Lupin said amusedly.  
  
"Yes," Snape agreed.  
  
"I think it's time for all of us to be getting to bed, anyhow," Lupin said.  
  
Snape got up and levitated her, carefully directing her out of the room and up the stairs. Lupin and Harry followed.  
  
"Night," Harry yawned as he stumbled into his own room. He hadn't realized how tired he was.  
  
The house was quieter than usual, or so it seemed. After his head hit the pillow, it only took him a few seconds to go to sleep, and the last thing on his mind before he dozed off was that he forgot to say goodnight to the Christmas tree.


	24. Blinded, Part 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, or anything else her wonderful mind invented!

----------------------------------------------

**Chapter 24 – Blinded, Part 1**  
  
"Harry," a voice called out.  
  
"Geroff," he mumbled sleepily, rolling over.  
  
Silver giggled. "Harry, it's _Christmas_. Come _on_."  
  
He opened his eyes to see a blurry figure hovering over him. She slid his glasses on for him, and her face came into view. Her eyes were alight with happiness and anticipation, and she was pulling him up into a sitting position.  
  
"Go wake up Remus, I'll take Snape," she said, pulling him out of bed and then darting out of the room.  
  
Harry walked up to Lupin's door, yawning, and knocked hard on it.  
  
"Wassamatter?" Lupin's called out groggily.  
  
"Christmas," he replied.  
  
Lupin groaned. "Be out in a sec."  
  
Harry smiled as he wondered what Snape was like when someone woke him up out of a dead sleep. He began to walk down the hall to see, but Silver met him halfway. He grinned, feeling much more awake than he had a second ago. He pushed a hand through his hair as he walked downstairs with her, letting the realization that it was Christmas sink in. He was very excited and fully awake by the time he reached the bottom step. Silver began to walk into the living room, but he caught her by the wrist and pulled her back in the doorway.  
  
"Uh-oh," he said, glancing upwards at the mistletoe.  
  
She smiled and willingly stepped forward. He pressed his lips gently against hers, and she kissed him back with the same tenderness. When she drew back, he saw out of the corner of his eye that they had an audience. Snape, for once, wasn't saying anything, which was a miracle in itself.  
  
Suddenly everybody jumped as a box flipped over. They all looked at it. It was a plain brown box with a rope tied in a bow around it. It shuddered and jumped up into the air, and began to roll away from the tree – well, roll the best it could, seeing as it was a box. The tree quickly pulled it back with its branches, but the box jumped and shook in protest. They heard a ripping noise come from inside.  
  
"Who is that for?" Silver asked finally.  
  
"You," Snape replied.  
  
"M...me?" she repeated.  
  
"Yes, you," Snape answered.  
  
She hesitantly walked forward and knelt in front of the tree, which gladly pushed the box over to her. She tugged on the bow, which easily came undone, and opened the box. The next thing Harry heard was a squeal of delight, although he didn't know if it came from Silver or from the tiny silver hippogriff she pulled out of the box. The animal's whole body was shaking with excitement, and Silver went into transports of delight. She jumped up, clutching the animal, and ran up to Snape, enveloping him in a hug. At first, Harry thought Snape was going to hug her back, but suddenly he jumped away. Harry had to refrain from laughing as he saw the hippogriff's tiny beak clamped on to the front of his robes.  
  
"She likes you," Silver informed him.  
  
"Yes, she showed me how much she liked me last night when I tried to put her in that box," Snape replied, eyeing the animal with dislike.  
  
Silver beamed and set the animal down, enfolding Snape in another hug.  
  
"You are absolutely positively the best!" she exclaimed, "Thank you thank you thank you!"  
  
Snape did his best not to look too pleased with himself.  
  
"You bought it," Lupin suddenly accused, "While we were eating ice cream, you bought it!"  
  
"Nothing gets past you," Snape answered sarcastically.  
  
Lupin grinned. "Not much," he agreed.  
  
The tiny hippogriff had been trying to snap at the tree, which was doing it's best to defend itself while not sending the tiny animal flying across the room.  
  
"Come here, sweetie!" Silver called, and immediately the hippogriff bounded into her arms and began to snuggle with her.  
  
"You next, Harry," Lupin said. Harry walked up to a tree and it nudged a present towards him.  
  
"Very good, it gave you mine," Lupin said, sounding delighted.  
  
It was a small, cube-shaped package, and Harry felt a slight vibration as he unwrapped it. He paused when he saw it, too surprised and pleased to even offer a thank-you. In his hand was a small glass box with gold hinges, and inside was a tiny, golden, fluttering Snitch.  
  
"It's not just any Snitch," Lupin informed him, "I found it in the study last week – it was your father's, Harry."  
  
Harry got a brief flashback of a boy with hazel eyes and messy black hair showing off by catching a Snitch in the hallways of Hogwarts. Although he didn't plan on using it to show off, it was one of the best presents he had ever received. It stood right there along with the other two things he would never give up that had previously belonged to his father: his invisibility cloak, and his father's former watch.  
  
"Thanks, erm...um...Lupin," Harry said. He felt bad about calling Lupin by his last name, but he had gotten used to it when Lupin was a teacher.  
  
"Sorry," he mumbled, feeling heat rise to his face, "I'm not quite sure what...to call you."  
  
Remus was something he could never get used to, but Lupin sounded so...formal.  
  
"Uh..." Lupin replied, apparently thinking along the same lines as Harry.  
  
"What about Moony?" Silver suddenly suggested.  
  
The two looked at her, and then at each other. A grin began to creep across their faces.  
  
"Moony it is, then, right Harry?" Lupin asked.  
  
Harry grinned. "Right you are, Moony," he agreed.  
  
Silver shook her head, smiling. "Honestly, I would think you two would have come up with that a long time ago," she said.  
  
Lupin chuckled. Harry met Silver's eye, and they locked together. It didn't last long, however, because the silver hippogriff suddenly squealed and began to jump up and down in protest. It nudged her affectionately and jealously. Harry glared at it, but Silver smiled and began to tell it what a "cutie" it was.  
  
Lupin was the next to receive a present, and the tree handed him Harry's first.  
  
"Excellent!" Lupin exclaimed as he uncovered a moon chart. Harry had seen that his current one looked as if it had indeed been used since the days of the Marauders, so he had taken it upon himself to buy him one.  
  
"Your turn, Severus," Lupin announced.  
  
Snape looked surprised as he walked forward. The tree pushed him a present wrapped immaculately with light blue wrapping paper – no doubt from Silver. He unwrapped it a bit clumsily, but when he opened it Harry saw gratitude in his eyes. He had uncovered a shiny black cauldron, and Harry saw that it had three heavy Potions books inside.  
  
"Do you like it?" Silver ventured as Snape looked at it with shock.  
  
"Yes," was all he said, and Silver looked very happy.  
  
The rest of the morning was happily spent opening presents. Snape was so shocked that he had more presents under the tree that he accused Silver of giving him too many, until he learned that they were from Harry and Lupin. Harry had figured it was a good idea to give him a present so that he would let him and Silver alone more often. Finally, when they had all finished opening each other's presents, they turned the subject to Silver's new hippogriff, who was rolling delightedly around in wrapping paper whilst tearing it to shreds.  
  
"It looks like quite a handful," Lupin commented.  
  
"Isn't she sweet, though?" Silver replied, beaming at the silver ball of fluff as it attempted to fight the wrapping paper into oblivion.  
  
"Uh, sure," Lupin said, exchanging a glance with Harry.  
  
"What are you going to name her?" Harry asked.  
  
"I'm not sure," Silver replied, "I need something that can have a nickname...I'm stuck calling Esperanza Esp, because he doesn't have a proper nickname!"  
  
Lupin laughed, and she added smoothly, "Although I'm sure Esperanza isn't quite as bad as Remus Lupin. You can't shorten _that_ to anything, now can you, Moony?"  
  
Lupin grinned. "Whoever said I wanted to?" he replied, "Moony suits me fine. I won't comment on the fact that it would be easier to shorten Remus than Silver."  
  
"You just did," she replied, but she was smiling, "Anyway, are you going to help me pick out a name or not?"  
  
"How about Noel?" Lupin suggested, "It's a Christmas name."  
  
"She's not gentle enough to be a Noel," Silver replied, looking at the silver ball of energy.  
  
"Good point," Lupin agreed, "How about...Ornament?"  
  
Silver looked at him oddly. "What?" Lupin asked, eyes twinkling, "It's _exotic_." He mimicked Silver so perfectly as he said it that neither Harry nor Silver could help but break into laughter.  
  
"Enough teasing, a name!" she insisted.  
  
"Uh, Tinsel?" Harry asked, "Mistletoe?"  
  
He looked around the room. "Ribbon?"  
  
She giggled. "It doesn't have to be a Christmas name," she said.  
  
The tiny hippogriff began to get bored of the wrapping paper, and instead put it's efforts on trying to fly. It squeezed it's eyes shut and flapped it's tiny wings hard, but all that happened was that the wrapping paper on both sides drifted away.  
  
While Harry and Lupin smothered laughter, Silver patted it on the head comfortingly.  
  
"Maybe the others will be able to think up a name when they get here," she said.  
  
Suddenly she jumped up. The hippogriff followed suit.  
  
"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, "The others are all coming and I haven't even showered yet!"  
  
"Well, you'd best go shower," Lupin told her, "Save some hot water for us."  
  
Silver gave him a sly grin, "Yeah, you definitely need a shower," she teased as she headed up the stairs. Her hippogriff followed at her heals, squealing with the excitement of running through the house.  
  
At a quarter til noon, the four were sitting in the living room, hoping that somebody would come early. Sure enough, at eleven fifty the doorbell rang. The hippogriff gave a squeal and bounded towards the door. They heard the door open, and a second later Mrs. Weasley screamed.  
  
"Cool!" Fred and George exclaimed in unison.  
  
Silver ran out to retrieve her pet.  
  
"Sorry, she's just friendly," they heard Silver exclaim.  
  
Lupin and Harry held back sniggers, both knowing that the hippogriff had probably tried to bite whoever it saw first. After Mrs. Weasley was sufficiently calmed that the "wild animal", as she called it, was Silver's pet, she said hello to everyone. Ron, Harry, Fred, George, Ginny, Silver, and the hippogriff all went up to Ron and Harry's room to think up a name for the small but vivacious animal.  
  
"How about Rocket?" Fred suggested.  
  
"That's too boyish," Silver answered.  
  
"This coming from the girl who named her boy owl Esperanza?" George teased.  
  
"It's exotic," Silver insisted.  
  
Everyone laughed.  
  
"Fireball?" Ron suggested.  
  
"No, that sounds more like a dragon than a hippogriff," Silver replied.  
  
"Guess so," Ron admitted.  
  
"What about Charisma?" Ginny asked, "It means 'gift' in Latin, and in English it means appeal or personality."  
  
Silver beamed. "It's perfect!" she exclaimed, "Charisma."  
  
"Yeah, but didn't you want something with a nickname?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, Charisma isn't that long," she replied, "In fact, compared to Esperanza it's relatively short."  
  
"Suppose so," Harry agreed.  
  
"Lunch!" Mrs. Weasley called.  
  
"Amazing how fast your mum cooks," Harry told Ron.  
  
"Isn't it though?" Ron replied, with a hint of appreciation in his voice.  
  
Mrs. Weasley gave Charisma a suspicious look when she arrived in the kitchen.  
  
"The animal goes out!" she exclaimed.  
  
"But she'll get lonely," Silver protested, looking shocked that Mrs. Weasley would even suggest such a thing.  
  
"Well, she'll have to learn to get over it," Mrs. Weasley replied.  
  
Silver took the hippogriff outside the door and told her firmly, "Stay!"  
  
As soon as Silver went out of her sight, however, a racket to counter fireworks on the Fourth of July went off. Charisma squealed loudly, making everyone cover their ears. Silver gave Mrs. Weasley a pleading look.  
  
"Oh, fine," Mrs. Weasley relented, "Just make it stop!"  
  
"Come!" Silver called.  
  
Immediately Charisma bounded through the door and bounded onto Silver's lap. Mrs. Weasley decided not to protest. Harry thought it was rather amusing to watch Silver pass the hippogriff bits of meat whenever Mrs. Weasley wasn't looking.  
  
"Have you decided on a name?" Lupin asked from a few seats down.  
  
"Charisma," Silver replied.  
  
Lupin looked at the tiny hippogriff with a smile.  
  
"Yes, I do believe it does," he replied.  
  
Silver beamed. After lunch Silver forced Charisma to take a nap, and the hippogriff grudgingly obliged. Harry waited for her in the living room with the others.  
  
Soon she came down, smiling.  
  
"Got it to take a nap?" he asked, grinning.  
  
"Yes – it was a bit of a chore," she admitted.  
  
Suddenly Harry realized that she was smiling rather slyly.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
She looked upwards, and he followed her gaze, his grin intensifying as he did. Sure enough, a sprig of mistletoe hung up above them. Neither of them noticed that every gaze in the room was suddenly on them. She put her arms around him at the same time he did her and stood on her tiptoes to reach him. The moment their lips touched, everyone in the room went wild with whistles and applause. Harry flatly ignored them, as did Silver. She drew back slightly, but not enough so that he couldn't easily tilt his head forward and kiss her again, and smiled at him.  
  
"Happy Christmas, Harry," she whispered.  
  
"Happy Christmas, Silver," he answered.  
  
He placed another kiss on her lips and loosened his hold on her, allowing her to sink back to her regular height. Suddenly Ron began waving something in their faces.  
  
"Haha, look what I've got!" he said evilly.  
  
Harry grabbed it from him and held it down so Silver could see, one arm still around her waist. It was a photo taken with a wizarding camera of him and Silver kissing. He smiled, wondering if that was how they really looked. Silver looked so sweet, standing on her tiptoes with her arms around his neck.  
  
"Can we keep it?" Silver asked Ron.  
  
Ron smirked. "I guess," he relented.  
  
Harry grinned and looked down at her. "Not gonna fight me for it, are you?" he challenged.  
  
"Not right now," she replied, eyes twinkling.  
  
They heard a crash upstairs. "Probably Charisma," she said, dislodging herself from Harry's arms.  
  
Harry was a bit disappointed at losing her so soon after she had come downstairs.  
  
"Hey, Harry," Ron whispered.  
  
"Yeah?" Harry replied, looking down at the picture.  
  
"Are we going to go see that passageway or what?"  
  
"Right _now_?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, right now, when else?" Ron replied.  
  
"Don't you think it's a little...soon?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, yeah, but isn't Silver staying in that room?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"So I think we should just go down, check it out, then come back up and have it sealed off so that she's safe."  
  
"Guess so..."  
  
"So what are we waiting for?"  
  
"She's going to have to walk under the mistletoe to get back in here," Harry replied, grinning.  
  
"Oh, come on," Ron said, grabbing his arm and yanking him towards the staircase.  
  
"Not so fast," Ginny said suddenly.  
  
They turned around to see Ginny, Fred, and George standing there with smiles on their faces. Harry heard Silver arrive downstairs behind them.  
  
"We want to come, too," Ginny declared.  
  
Ron groaned. "You listened in on our conversation!" he exclaimed.  
  
"We sure did," Fred agreed.  
  
"And we're not about to be left out," George added.  
  
"About what?" Silver questioned, fixing her brown eyes on Harry.  
  
Harry hesitantly explained about the secret passageway and the torch to her. By the end of it, her eyes were alight with something akin to anticipation.  
  
"Let's go, then!" she exclaimed, "What are we waiting for?"  
  
She let Charisma hop out of her arms and turned to go back upstairs.  
  
Ron and Harry exchanged glances, Harry grinning.  
  
"That's my girlfriend," he boasted as they headed up the stairs after her.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes, and Fred and George chuckled.  
  
"About time, Harry," George informed him.  
  
"Kept her waiting a while, didn't you?" Fred added.  
  
Harry remembered that she had been writing to them. "Oh, shut it," he said, hopping up the last two stairs and jogging to catch up to Silver.  
  
She had already moved the trunk out of the way, but she stood back to let Harry open it up. He pulled on the hanger, and a dark stairway was revealed. Ginny 'oohed' softly behind them. Harry pulled the torch out of his pocket.  
  
"Light," he commanded, and a ball of bright white light burst out of it, scaring everybody but Silver, who was watching intently. He made it dim so that it gave off a slightly spooky glow, and then looked at the others.  
  
"I'll take the lead," he offered.  
  
They all looked down at the stairway, wondering what secrets it could hold. Although Harry had been down before, a sense of foreboding passed over him. Silver slid her hand through his as he began the descent. He was grateful for not having to go down feeling completely alone. He heard the others slip down behind them, and then a faint thump told him that the door had closed.  
  
Suddenly, they heard a bang, and everybody froze. Ginny gasped, only to receive glares from the others. Harry made the torch even dimmer, so that he could only see about a step in front of him, and he went to where he had hidden on the staircase on his previous visit. It only took a second for them to hear quiet voices coming from the opening below.  
  
"I just don't know where to look!" came Lestrange's voice.  
  
Before Harry could even draw out his wand, Ron and Fred dragged him backwards, Silver pressed her hand over his mouth, and George held his legs still. He glared at them.  
  
"Harry," Silver whispered, "Promise us you won't do anything rash. Please?"  
  
He began to struggle, and opened his mouth to yell. If he couldn't get to Lestrange, he would get her to come to him.  
  
"_Silencio_," George hissed, pointing his wand at Harry.  
  
Harry tried to yell, but no sound came out. He scowled at George, who was still sitting on his legs.  
  
"Should we petrify him?" George whispered to the others.  
  
"We need to go back," Silver replied, "But hang on."  
  
They all paused and listened for snatches of the conversation. Suddenly Harry looked at the torch in his hand. If he made it light up, Lestrange would come. He just had to light it up...and he could kill her. _Light_, he thought, staring at it intently, _Brighter! Brighter!_  
  
Suddenly the ball of light seemed to burst. A blinding white light filled the entire structure. He heard Silver's scream, mixed with others, and knew he had made a mistake. He stopped telling the torch to light, but the light stayed. It was so bright that he could not see anything past it. It was like being wrapped in a glowing white sheet – suffocated with it. It was utterly terrifying. Although he was gasping in air, it felt as if he couldn't breathe, as if the brightness was closing in on him. It was like being blinded and suffocated at the same time. He felt himself being dragged upwards, and struggled to his feet.  
  
"The handle, the handle!" Silver cried, "Where is it?"  
  
Then he heard a creak, and felt himself being tugged upwards once more. At first, everything was so dark that he couldn't see. But then he began to see shadows all around him, panting and...crying? A small figure with short hair was crying – it must be Ginny. Somebody was dragging the trunk back over the hole – either Fred or George. And Silver was crying, too, but he couldn't see where she was.  
  
Slowly, things came back into focus. Fred was sitting on top of the trunk, his face ashen white, panting. George was looking identical, laying down on the floor. Ron was a brilliant shade of red as he gasped for breath. Ginny was shaking, her face in her hands. Silver was holding Charisma tightly, her face hidden by the small animal's feathers, and she was shaking as well. What did I do? Harry thought. He looked around at his friends, terror written all over them – because of something he had done.  
  
"I'm sorry," he croaked.  
  
Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny looked up at him in disbelief. Silver began to cry louder. Harry cringed under his friend's gazes and he crawled over to Silver, feeling too weak to walk.  
  
"I'm sorry," he repeated, not daring to touch her.  
  
"I...c...can't believe...y...you...d...did that," she sobbed, "H...H...Harry...w...what...were...y...you...thinking?"  
  
"I wanted to kill her," he said, his voice shaky, "She killed Sirius, and Snape said she hurt you..."  
  
He trailed off.  
  
"T...that...was...s...so...scary," she wailed, "I...t...thought...y...y...you...were...g...going...to get...h...h...hurt!"  
  
With that, she set Charisma down and plunged into his arms. Shock coursed through Harry. He had just purposely put everyone's lives in danger, especially hers, and she was crying because he _might_ have gotten hurt. He looked up at the others, and they were looking at Silver with similar astonishment.  
  
"Silver, he just nearly killed us all!" George pointed out.  
  
"Um, yeah, I hardly think he heeds comforting at the moment," Fred added, giving Harry a rather nasty look.  
  
"Seriously," Ron agreed.  
  
"They're right," Harry said, "Why are you worried about...me? I just put you all in danger because I can't think straight."  
  
Silver sniffled as she pulled away from him and glared at the others.  
  
"Well, it's our fault too! Maybe we should have thought beforehand before just plunging down there to who-knows-where when we _knew_ that there was a possibility that Lestrange would be there, and we _knew_ how Harry would react!"  
  
For a moment the others just looked shocked, but then they surveyed Harry quizzically, as if trying to decide if she was right.  
  
"I think you're right," Ginny suddenly sniffled, "We shouldn't be blaming it all on Harry...and he didn't know it was going to...suffocate...us all like that...did you, Harry?"  
  
"No," Harry said, "I just wanted to get Lestrange's attention."  
  
"It wasn't all your fault, mate," Ron said suddenly, "I'm sorry."  
  
"We agree," Fred and George added.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said, "I'm sorry, too."  
  
For a moment they all sat in silence, staring at the torch in Harry's hand. Although they felt better, they were all still shaken from what had happened.  
  
"We should go tell the adults," Silver said, "That needs to be sealed off right away."  
  
Harry nodded and struggled to his feet. At first, a wave of nausea and dizziness swept over him, but he breathed deeply and closed his eyes, and it passed. The others experienced similar emotions as they stood up, and once they were all up, they stood and headed for the stairs. Halfway down Silver stopped and swayed dangerously, but George caught her, and handed her to Harry.  
  
They arrived in the doorway, and immediately the adults stopped talking and looked at them as if they had all dropped off another planet. Harry looked at his friends and realized why. Fred and George were deathly pale, Ron looked as if another wave of nausea had swept over him, and Silver and Ginny's eyes were red and puffy. Even Charisma stood docilely down at their feet. Harry could only imagine how he looked.  
  
"What happened?" Lupin finally asked.


	25. Blinded, Part 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or items.

**-----------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 25 – Blinded, Part 2**  
  
Harry didn't feel like looking Lupin in the eye. He stared down at the floor, unwilling to speak, for what seemed like hours. Finally, he looked up.  
  
"I made a mistake," he said, his voice dry, "I was really stupid."  
  
"It wasn't just Harry," Silver spoke up, "It was all of us. We all made a mistake."  
  
She slid her hand through his, and he squeezed it tightly, silently thanking her for not making him face this alone. He looked down at the torch that was still in his other hand, but couldn't bring himself to speak. As he looked at it, visions of blinding whiteness flashed before his eyes, and Silver's panicky voice echoed in his head, "The handle, the handle! Where is it?" Had he ever seen her that scared before? Probably not. And it was his fault.  
  
"Talk to me, Harry," Lupin said.  
  
Harry reluctantly looked up at Lupin. Silver gently rubbed his hand with her thumb. He took a deep breath and started to talk. Once he started, he found it almost impossible to stop. When it came to the part about the torch's light, however, the one that Lupin needed to hear most, his courage seemed to fail him.  
  
"It was bright...so bright," he said, "You couldn't see anything but white. Like the opposite of being blind, I guess. And it was hard to breathe, because it felt like someone was pressing the light over your face, over your whole body..."  
  
Ginny began to cry silently, giving only one giveaway sob.  
  
"And it wouldn't stop, not even when I told it to," he continued, "So we just...somehow...managed to get back up the stairs, and in Sirius' room. And then we came down here."  
  
For a moment, everyone was silent. Harry felt his face burning with shame. Even if it wasn't all his fault, it was mostly. He was surprised nobody had yelled at him yet, but he knew it was coming. Lupin stood up, some unreadable emotion on his face. Then he walked up to Harry. Harry didn't really want to meet his gaze, but he did anyway. Lupin put his hands on Harry's shoulders in a reassuring manner.  
  
"It's not your fault, Harry," he said quietly, "So don't beat yourself up over it."  
  
Harry looked up at him in surprise, and Lupin smiled.  
  
"Yes, I know you," he told him, "I know you're standing there feeling like we're all blaming you, but we're not."  
  
"Thanks," Harry said, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Molly," Lupin said, turning to Mrs. Weasley and releasing Harry, "These children look like they could use some hot cocoa, wouldn't you say?"  
  
"Right away," Mrs. Weasley replied, ruffling Harry's hair affectionately as she passed on her way to the kitchen.  
  
"You kids sit down on the couch," Lupin instructed. Quickly everyone on the couches moved to make way for them. They obeyed wordlessly. Ron sat on the edge, and Harry sat next to him, with his arm around Silver, who was on his other side. George sat beside Silver, whilst Fred and Mr. Weasley comforted a shaking Ginny by putting a blanket around her on the couch opposite. Charisma sat on Silver's lap, sound asleep.  
  
Lupin threw some Floo Powder into the fireplace and stepped in, saying, "Dumbledore's Office!"  
  
He disappeared, and Harry wondered how Dumbledore would react. Was that what he had meant about the torch being a powerful weapon? And if so, it was pretty useless if Harry half felt like he was using it against himself. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the torch. He simply stared at it, not daring to tell it to even light up a little. He wondered if he would ever be able to light it again. Or if he tried to, would it do the same thing as it had just done? He put it back in his pocket, not really wanting to think about it. He felt Silver's breathing become deep and regular, and knew that she was sleeping. He leaned his head on top of hers, taking in the scent and softness of her hair. Before he knew it, he, too, had drifted off to sleep.  
  
"Dumbledore wants to talk with Harry," somebody's voice was saying from far away.  
  
"Shh!" said another one, "You'll wake them up!"  
  
There was a pause in which Harry tried to drift back into the wonderful, thoughtless world he had been in, but he was interrupted yet again.  
  
"Cute couple, aren't they?" an amused voice asked.  
  
"I've got lots of pictures," somebody whispered much too close to him.  
  
Silver stirred ever so slightly beneath him, and he realized where he was. He kept his eyes closed and feigned sleep, knowing that if they knew he was awake, he would have to surrender Silver. He matched his breathing with hers, not daring to move a muscle.  
  
"The boy's awake," Snape said suddenly.  
  
"Shh! No he's not, look at him," Mrs. Weasley hissed.  
  
"He's awake," Snape replied, "Potter, open your eyes."  
  
Harry ignored him.  
  
"We won't make you let her go," Snape tempted.  
  
Harry sprung open his eyes, much to the surprise of the people around him.  
  
"What do you want, then?" he asked irritably.  
  
"Dumbledore wants to see you," Lupin answered.  
  
Harry picked up his head and looked down at Silver. "Not yet," he protested.  
  
"Harry," Lupin answered in a you-know-you-have-to-come voice.  
  
Suddenly Silver stirred. Unconsciously, she put her arms around Harry and buried her face into his chest.  
  
"Mm," she murmured softly. Harry grinned and gave a gentle tug on her hair.  
  
She pulled away from him with a start, but her eyes softened when she looked at him. "You scared me," she accused.  
  
"Sorry," he replied, still smiling.  
  
She settled back into his arms, and Harry began to get comfortable when Lupin interrupted.  
  
"_Harry_," he said in a warning tone.  
  
Harry sighed. "I have to go see Dumbledore," he told her.  
  
She pulled away from him reluctantly. "See you later," she replied.  
  
He kissed her on the forehead and grudgingly took a handful of Floo Powder from Lupin, muttering under his breath as he did so. He stepped into the fire and found that the warmth of the flames was very pleasant.  
  
"Dumbledore's office!" he exclaimed, and the next moment he was spinning undesirably fast, and then being spit out in Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Good evening, Harry," Dumbledore greeted cheerfully, "Please, have a seat."  
  
Harry glanced behind him. "Isn't Moony...er...Lupin...coming?" he asked.  
  
"Oh no, I wanted to talk to you alone," Dumbledore replied, "But first, you must tell me exactly what happened today concerning that passageway."  
  
Harry didn't really feel like describing what had happened again, but with Dumbledore sitting there looking at him with those piercing blue eyes, he didn't have much of a choice. He took a deep breath and told Dumbledore every last detail, excepting his friends' cold attitudes and Silver's near hysterics.  
  
"And what have you been doing since this little escapade finished?" Dumbledore asked when he had finished.  
  
"Um, sleeping," Harry answered.  
  
"You haven't lit the torch again?" Dumbledore inquired.  
  
"No," Harry replied, dreading what he knew Dumbledore was about to do.  
  
"You have it with you, am I correct?" Dumbledore asked politely.  
  
Harry briefly considered telling him no, but he knew that if he did he would just have to go get it.  
  
"Yes," he admitted.  
  
"Would you mind lighting it for me?"  
  
Harry thought that Dumbledore knew the answer to the question perfectly well. Yes, he did mind lighting it. Very much. However, he pulled it out of his pocket and said quietly, "Light." For a moment the bright ball of light that appeared frightened him, but he relaxed as he saw that it was it's normal size.  
  
"Very nice, Harry," Dumbledore complimented, "You may put it out now."  
  
Harry was able to shut it off simply using his thoughts. He felt a huge relief at the fact that he could still control the torch.  
  
"Now, Harry, I think you agree when I say that the passageway should be sealed?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Very good," Dumbledore replied, "Let's go."  
  
"Wait," Harry said before he could stop himself, "Aren't you going to tell me about the torch?"  
  
"Well, Harry, I would love to, but what happened today presents an interesting side that needs to be looked into before I can give you accurate information," Dumbledore replied pleasantly.  
  
"Can't you just tell me what you know?" Harry asked.  
  
"I'm afraid not," Dumbledore replied quietly, looking Harry straight in the eye.  
  
Harry looked back at him for a long moment, until Dumbledore's eyes began to make his burn. He turned away, feeling frustrated.  
  
"Come, Harry," Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry grudgingly accepted the Floo Powder and transported himself back to Grimmauld Place. When he arrived, he was greeted by a few tentative smiles, but mostly curious looks. Silver and the others were nowhere to be seen.  
  
"I believe they're waiting in Sirius' bedroom," Lupin informed him.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said.  
  
He began to walk towards the room without waiting for Dumbledore. He pushed open the door and found that for the most part, they all looked better. Fred, George, and Ron all looked back to normal except for a faint pale tint, and Ginny, although she looked distant, no longer had red, puffy eyes. Silver was looking worriedly at Charisma, who was laying down on the bed, blinking sleepily, but when she saw him her face lit up.  
  
"Harry!" she exclaimed.  
  
He made his way over to her and sat down beside her.  
  
"What's wrong with Charisma?" he asked.  
  
"I think she's just a bit tired from what happened," Silver replied, "I'm sure she'll be fine."  
  
Harry could tell that Silver wasn't so sure, and truthfully, he wasn't either. As they watched, the tiny silver hippogriff closed it's eyes and settled off into sleep. At first, Harry wasn't sure whether she had died or not, but he saw her side rising and falling and knew that she was still alive.  
  
"I think she just needs a lot of sleep," Silver said, trying to sound confident.  
  
Harry felt incredibly guilty. Silver looked over at him and then enveloped him in a hug.  
  
"I don't blame you, Harry, so stop feeling guilty," she admonished gently.  
  
Harry just looked at the sleeping hippogriff wordlessly. _Stupid torch_, he found himself thinking, _Why did I ever have to find it in the first place?_  
  
The door opened and Dumbledore walked in, followed by Lupin and Snape.  
  
"Under the trunk," Harry informed them, without being asked, "Pull the hanger and you can see which floorboards move."  
  
Lupin dragged the trunk out of the way and joined Dumbledore and Snape as Dumbledore pulled the hanger firmly. The floorboards opened, and the entire closet lit up with a white glow. Harry saw the suffocating whiteness below it – you couldn't see a single stair.  
  
"It's still there," Ginny whimpered.  
  
"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed gravely. He knelt and put his hand into it. It disappeared into the whiteness.  
  
"Very powerful magic," he commented, withdrawing his hand, "Very powerful."  
  
"Do you reckon Lestrange is still down there?" Ron asked.  
  
"I highly doubt it," Dumbledore replied, "My guess is that she and Mrs. Malfoy ran up the nearest staircase they could find. If not, I'm sure we wouldn't be hearing silence. Neither woman is the type to keep quiet."  
  
Harry remembered the screams he had heard when the passageway had been ignited – they hadn't just been Silver's.  
  
Dumbledore rose as the floorboards began to creak back into place. Then he, Lupin, and Snape withdrew their wands.  
  
"Children, there may be side-effects to this spell that you will not want to be around for," Dumbledore said, "I would suggest moving to another room."  
  
Immediately they all rose. Silver gathered Charisma in her arms, and Harry felt guilty again as he looked at the formerly-spunky hippogriff that was now still asleep in it's owners arms. They went into Harry and Ron's room. Silver lay Charisma down, concern in her eyes as she looked at the small bundle. Harry touched her shoulder, and she broke down into tears. She turned into his arms, and he wrapped them around her. Ginny began crying as well, and Ron comforted her awkwardly.  
  
"We never should have gone down there," Silver sobbed.  
  
"I'm sorry," Harry said.  
  
"It's not your fault!" she exclaimed, and to his surprise, she hit him hard in the shoulder. "Stop thinking that way!" she said, sounding angry.  
  
"Uh, sorry," he said, half amused. She continued to cry, and he held her, gently rubbing her back.  
  
Soon, her sobs had subsided, and she was asleep once more in his arms. Harry found that Fred and George were also asleep against the wall, and Ginny looked as if she was about to doze off on Ron's shoulder. Ron put his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Harry watched Charisma closely, making sure that the tiny hippogriff was still breathing. It was oddly soothing to watch it's sides rise and fall so rhythmically.  
  
Harry awoke to find that he was alone. The last thing he remembered was watching Charisma sleep, but Charisma was gone, also. Ron was asleep on his bed beside Harry. Harry got up out of bed and made his way to Ginny's room – he assumed Silver was sleeping there. He walked in quietly and walked past Ginny's bed to the second one, where Silver was sleeping soundly. Charisma was in her arms, and they were breathing in perfect harmony. He hovered there for a moment, watching her, and then gently brushed her hair out of her face.  
  
"Night," he whispered.  
  
He walked out of the room without hearing her almost unconscious, "Goodnight, Harry."  
  
He had no sooner lay down in his bed than he fell asleep again. Although he was not exactly plagued by dreams, his sleep was restless, and he found himself waking up countless times, each time with a flash of white light and Silver's scream, not sure if it could be counted as a nightmare or not.


	26. My Girl

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or items.

**Comments: **Ah! Did I actually go a whole day without updating?! Lol, sorry, I was away. I plan on showering you with chapters today (so far it looks as if I'll have the time). And it's good conditioning for you guys, anyhow, because I am going to be gone from June 11th until the 17th. But I'll remind you of that later...

**---------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 26 – My Girl  
**  
The next morning Harry woke up to find that Ron was already downstairs. At about two o' clock that morning he had finally managed to fall into a peaceful sleep, but apparently Ron hadn't had any trouble sleeping. Harry got out of bed and dressed, not feeling quite as gloomy as he had before. As he walked down the hallway to the stairs, he discovered that Fred, George, Ginny, Silver, and, to his relief, Charisma, were all also already awake and downstairs. He entered the kitchen and was greeted by a loud squeal from Charisma, who bounded up to him and began tugging at his pants.  
  
He bent down and picked up the tiny hippogriff. It squirmed in his grasp, but froze when it looked him in the eye.  
  
"Feeling better?" he asked.  
  
It decided to snap at his nose for a reply. He set it down, and it bounded back to Silver, who reached down and patted it on the head.  
  
"Morning, Harry," she greeted.  
  
"Morning," he replied, noting with disappointment that the only chair open was two seats away from her.  
  
He slid into it, running a hand through his hair, and was served a plate brimming full of hot food by Mrs. Weasley. He dug in gratefully, and with every bite felt energy flowing through his system. He hadn't even had dinner the previous night, he realized. He didn't talk to anyone as he ate, and the others seemed just as intent on eating their own breakfasts. When he was finally done, he sat back contentedly, finding that he was able to focus much easier. He noted that Dumbledore was still there, probably to make sure that the sealing off of the passageway had worked.  
  
He looked over at Silver. She had finished breakfast and was talking with Fred and George. They said something to make her laugh, and he felt a smile creeping onto his face as he watched her eyes light up. Sometimes he felt as if her eyes could laugh all on their own. She was so beautiful, so perfect, so...he gave a yelp and jumped up, nearly knocking his chair over in the process. Charisma stood by his throbbing ankle, staring up at him sweetly. He glared at her.  
  
"Charisma!" Silver exclaimed in a scolding voice, "Don't bite Harry!"  
  
"Well, it was the only way to get his attention," Tonks replied, "The poor little thing was sitting at his feet squealing her head off for about five minutes, but he was just sitting there staring at you and smiling like he just won the lottery."  
  
Harry gave her an evil glare and blushed furiously as most of the table dissolved into laughter. Silver seemed to be trying to keep a straight face.  
  
"Well," she said, her voice quieting everyone down, "That's still no reason to bite."  
  
She fixed her hippogriff with a stern look, and Charisma immediately pranced over to Harry and rubbed up against his bitten ankle. Harry chanced a glance at Silver, who winked at him and motioned with her head to the living room. He grinned and immediately left the room. Soon enough, she came in, Charisma at her heels.  
  
"So, were you really staring at me?" she asked playfully.  
  
"Maybe," he replied evasively.  
  
She giggled. "Bet you were..." she teased.  
  
"How do you know?" he challenged, "Maybe I was staring at...Ginny!"  
  
"Oh, really now?" she asked amusedly.  
  
"Really now," he answered.  
  
"So you're cheating on me!" she exclaimed, stepping forward and giving him an accusing shove.  
  
"Well...uh..." he wasn't quite sure if she was serious or not.  
  
"Fine then, this relationship is over!" she said, tossing her head defiantly.  
  
"I was just kidding!" he exclaimed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back to him, "I was staring at you, promise."  
  
She smiled. "And I was kidding too," she informed him.  
  
"Oh," he said, although he couldn't help but feel relieved.  
  
She giggled.  
  
"All right, lovebirds, break it up," George said as he, Fred, Ron, and Ginny came in.  
  
Silver frowned at him, and he grinned back at her.  
  
"Remember," he said, motioning to Ginny, "We have young eyes watching, and we wouldn't want to give her any bad impressions, now would we?"  
  
"Definitely not," Silver agreed solemnly.  
  
"Good, now that we've agreed on...hey!"  
  
Silver had slid her arms around Harry's neck and initiated a playful kiss. Harry put up no resistance as he pulled her closer. She drew away and looked into his eyes, teasing him silently. Harry could almost hear her challenge. _Bet you can't kiss me again!_ He leaned forward, but she slid out of his grasp.  
  
"Okay, you two," George was saying, as Harry chased her around the room.  
  
"Break it up, now," Fred added, sounding worried.  
  
"Stop it!" Ron added.  
  
Harry ignored them and finally caught her. She squirmed in his arms, laughing. He turned her around, fully prepared to kiss her, when Ron whacked him smartly in the side of the head with a rolled up newspaper.  
  
"Ah! What the bloody-"he began, before Silver quieted him with a finger over his lips.  
  
He sufficed for an evil glare at Ron, who smirked back at him. Silver noticed, however, and gave Ron a haughty look. Charisma mirrored her owner's look in Ron's direction. Harry thought she looked irresistible, and began to snake his arms around her, but she gave him a warning look and he stopped with an innocent smile.  
  
"Now, if you two can manage to step out of each other's arms for one second..." George began amusedly.  
  
"A whole second?" Silver interrupted, "One entire second?"  
  
She gave a dramatic sigh and pretended to faint onto the couch beside George. George rolled his eyes, and Harry grinned. _Wonder why she's in such a good mood today_, he thought to himself. Whatever the reason, he was sure he liked it. He sat down on the floor, resting his head against the couch where she lay above him. In only a few moments time he felt her fingers in his hair.  
  
"Oh quit the mush!" George exclaimed.  
  
"It's hard to concentrate when you're sitting there running your fingers through his hair!" Fred added.  
  
Ginny and Ron sniggered at the offended look on Silver's face.  
  
"I can run my fingers through my boyfriend's hair whenever I want, thank you very much," she replied.  
  
"Yeah, you could run your fingers through any guys' hair whenever you wanted and not get any complaints, but that doesn't make it a good thing to do," George retorted.  
  
Silver blushed furiously. "Hmph," she replied, although she took her fingers out of his hair.  
  
Fred and George exchanged grins.  
  
"So what's so important?" Silver asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing, just the fact that Fred and I need your help but you're too busy being with your _boyfriend_," George replied.  
  
"Well, if you'd tell me what you needed help with maybe I'd be less busy," Silver replied sensibly.  
  
"Whatever," Fred replied, "Now listen up, all of you."  
  
Immediately everyone turned towards Fred and George.  
  
"Well, George and I were out looking at the competition one day – you know, Lurdic Addle's Joke Shop," Fred began.  
  
"And we found something called Nosebleed Nuggets...well, you know how ours are called Nosebleed Nougats?" George continued.  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"Well, apparently the change in name is the _only_ thing that's changed," Fred said sourly.  
  
"He's stealing our stuff!" George exclaimed.  
  
"Well, you should tell someone," Ginny replied sensibly.  
  
"Oh no," Fred replied, grinning.  
  
"We don't work that way," George furthered.  
  
"Besides, getting revenge is much more fun," Fred added, exchanging an evil grin with George.  
  
"And that's where you come in, gorgeous," George said as he and Fred turned their gazes to Silver.  
  
Harry wasn't sure if he liked them calling her gorgeous, but he didn't comment.  
  
"Wait, since when did I say I was going to help you two get revenge?" she asked.  
  
They gave her identical puppy dog faces.  
  
"_Please_?" they begged in unison.  
  
"Okay, okay, just stop it," she relented.  
  
They grinned evilly.  
  
"Alright now, here's the plan. While you distract him, Fred and I are going to go into his back room where they put all the ingredients, and replace them with a special little something of our own," George said, openly relishing in the mere thought of revenge.  
  
"How exactly am I supposed to distract him?" Silver asked.  
  
"Well, that's the thing," Fred said, "Lurdic is a very hard guy to distract. So you're going to have to be very...well, attention grabbing."  
  
"Which won't be very hard, for you," George added, eyeing her in a way Harry was not comfortable with.  
  
"What we're saying, basically," Fred continued, "Is that we need you to turn on some of that feminine charm. You know, just be a bit...seductive."  
  
"No," Silver said firmly, "I won't...I can't!"  
  
"Oh, but you can," George replied, "You think we don't see you with Harry?"  
  
"Harry is my boyfriend!" she replied, sounding shocked.  
  
"Uh-huh, and have you noticed he's never exactly turned down a kiss?" Fred answered.  
  
Silver blushed. "How would you know?" she challenged.  
  
"Because you're you," George told her, grinning and winking at Harry.  
  
"So?" she replied.  
  
"Trust me," Fred said, "No guy would ever turn down a kiss from you."  
  
"I won't kiss him," she declared, her face still flushed.  
  
"We didn't ask you to," George replied, "We just want you to help us."  
  
"So will you?" Fred asked.  
  
"_Please_?" they pleaded together, giving her begging looks.  
  
She sighed. "Oh, alright," she agreed.  
  
They gave each other high fives.  
  
"So, you ready?" George asked.  
  
"Ready?" Silver echoed, "Right _now_?"  
  
"Did you think we were going to sit around waiting forever?" Fred replied.  
  
"Shouldn't we wait for Hermione?" Ron interrupted.  
  
Fred and George raised their eyebrows at him. "And why is this, little brother?" George asked.  
  
"B...because, we should," Ron replied, blushing under their gazes.  
  
"How long will we have to wait?" Fred asked, "Because if it's longer than an hour, I'm out."  
  
"Don't worry, it isn't," said a cheerful voice from the doorway.  
  
They all looked up to see Hermione standing there, looking extremely pleased with herself.  
  
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, stumbling to his feet.  
  
Hermione was beaming at Silver, however, who jumped up and enfolded her in a hug.  
  
"You said you were coming tonight!" Silver exclaimed.  
  
"Well, I escaped a bit earlier," Hermione replied, still smiling.  
  
Charisma began squealing at Hermione, stomping her feet and demanding attention.  
  
"This sounds like the one you described to me in your letter – whose is it?" Hermione asked, looking down at the tiny creature.  
  
"Mine," Silver said proudly, "Her name is Charisma."  
  
"Where did you get her?" Hermione asked, bending over in an attempt to pet the tiny creature. Charisma, however, took it as an opportunity to try and bite her fingers. Hermione quickly withdrew her hand and straightened up.  
  
"Snape gave her to me for Christmas," Silver answered.  
  
Hermione looked surprised. "Well...that was thoughtful..." she said.  
  
She looked at Silver for a moment, as if they were reading each other's minds, and then they both looked at Harry, who squirmed self-consciously. Then they looked back at each other, again seeming to communicate without words.  
  
Ron looked a bit jealous.  
  
"You never told me you were coming," he pointed out to Hermione, walking up.  
  
"I wanted it to be a surprise," Hermione replied, kissing him on the cheek.  
  
He blushed, and Fred and George sniggered.  
  
"How long have you been standing there?" Ginny demanded.  
  
"Long enough to hear what's going on," Hermione replied, "So are we going to Diagon Alley or what?"  
  
"Actually, Silver has to change first," Fred informed them.  
  
"Change?" Silver echoed.  
  
"Yes, we bought you a...little something...to help your act along," George said.  
  
"And just what might that be?" Silver asked.  
  
Exchanging grins, Fred and George stood up, took her by the arms, and led her upstairs. The others paused to exchange glances, and then followed. Before they had even reached the room, however, they heard Silver's voice.  
  
"I am _not_ wearing that!"  
  
"Yes, you are," Fred replied.  
  
"No way to escape it," George added.  
  
They arrived in the doorway in time to see George holding up a very short white dress.  
  
"No way," Silver answered.  
  
"It's much longer than it looks," Fred insisted, "Just try it on, and if you still don't like it, you don't have to wear it."  
  
Frowning at them, Silver grabbed the dress and shooed them out of the room. Fred and George were grinning.  
  
"By much longer than it looks, did you mean shorter?" Silver asked suddenly.  
  
Without knocking, Fred and George burst the door open. She scowled at them.  
  
"What if I was changing?" she demanded.  
  
They didn't answer, however. The dress, although short, looked stunning on Silver. It's thin straps flowed over her shoulders to crisscross in the back, making the dress in itself look rather fragile.  
  
"Get out, I have to change back," she said, ignoring the fact that they were gaping at her.  
  
"You're not changing outta that dress, sweetheart," George replied, snapping out of his trance.  
  
"Oh I'm not?" she shot back, her eyes flashing dangerously. Charisma let out a low growl.  
  
Fred and George realized their mistake in ordering her around.  
  
"Erm, what I meant to say," George said quickly, "Is that we really, really need you to wear that dress so that our plan works perfectly."  
  
"So will you _please_ wear it?" Fred added, he and George giving her their puppy dog looks.  
  
Silver looked down at the dress for a moment.  
  
"I don't have any shoes to match it," she finally said.  
  
Fred and George let out whoops of joy and high-fived each other.  
  
"Not to worry," Fred said, pulling a pair of high heels out of a bag near his bed, "We've got it covered."  
  
"How did you know what shoe size I wear?" she asked as she slipped her feet into the heels.  
  
"Lucky guess," George said slyly.  
  
"Yeah, right," she replied, knowing full well that even Fred and George couldn't guess a person's shoe size that accurately. However, they refused to say anything else.  
  
Silver managed to pile her hair delicately on top of her head in less than fifteen minutes whilst Fred and George informed the adults that they were going to Diagon Alley for a 'look around the joke shop' and would be back by dinner. They all met up in the living room, Fred and George still wearing evil grins.  
  
"Notice that we never said which joke shop," Fred said, winking at them.  
  
After they had all flooed themselves to Fred and George's shop, they set off in the direction of Lurdic Addle's Joke Shop. Ron and Hermione stayed behind the others, and Harry had a feeling that he wouldn't want to hear what they were saying anyway. Charisma bounded along by Silver's feet, squealing at anything she found particularly amusing. When they finally arrived outside the building, Silver picked up Charisma and handed her to Harry.  
  
"You need to stay here while mommy goes inside," she explained to the confused hippogriff.  
  
"Yeah, just stay here with daddy," Fred added teasingly.  
  
Harry blushed and glared at him as Silver hit him on the arm.  
  
Finally, they all peered in the window of the shop. At the counter was a rather good-looking young man with blonde hair and blue eyes, surrounded by a group of goggling girls.  
  
"There's your target," George announced.  
  
"What? _Him_?" Silver asked, sounding shocked.  
  
"Him," Fred confirmed.  
  
"How am I supposed to distract him?" she demanded, "He looks _distracted_ enough already, if you know what I mean."  
  
"Oh, come on," George said, "They're no competition for you."  
  
"But...but...yes they are," Silver protested.  
  
Harry could see the hesitance in her eyes. He wondered how she could possibly think that she wouldn't blow all those other girls away. They were pretty, but she was gorgeous. Especially in that dress...  
  
Fred and George exchanged glances.  
  
"You're right, you probably couldn't get his attention over all of them," Fred said suddenly.  
  
Harry looked from Fred to George, shocked that they were backing out on their plan.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, you have the looks for sure, but you don't have near enough confidence," George chipped in.  
  
"You wouldn't be able to hold your head up high enough...," Fred continued.  
  
"...show him that you're not afraid of rejection..." George furthered.  
  
Harry watched as Silver's eyes began to grow a determined glint, and he realized what Fred and George were doing.  
  
"I mean, you'd have to be pretty bold to just go in there and..." Fred began.  
  
"_Excuse_ me?" Silver interrupted, "I am _not_ scared of him!"  
  
"Well, you seemed pretty..." George began.  
  
"Well, I'm not," Silver replied defiantly, and without further ado, she pushed into the shop.  
  
Fred and George high-fived each other and they all crowded by the window.  
  
"_I _wouldn't have minded giving it a go," Ginny said wistfully.  
  
"Ginny!" George exclaimed, sounding horrified.  
  
"_Not_ a mental picture we wanted to see...our baby sister trying to _seduce_ somebody?" Fred echoed in an equally horrified tone.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes and gave them a "Tut!" along with Hermione.  
  
In the shop, it had only taken a second after Silver had walked through the door for Lurdic to become wholly obsessed with her. She strolled casually to a shelf towards the back and began fingering through the items. Harry strained to hear what was happening inside.  
  
"Um, sorry ladies, but I have to go get something in the back," he said in what Harry supposed he considered a charming tone, "If you wait here, I'll be right back."  
  
"Get something in the back," Harry muttered angrily, "I'll bet he had to get someth..."  
  
"Shh!" Ron said, elbowing him, "We need to be able to hear!"  
  
Harry watched as Lurdic made his way over to her. She looked up with feigned surprise.  
  
"Well, _hello_ there," Lurdic said, "Did you need help with anything?"  
  
Fred and George began to sneak their way towards the door labeled, "Authorized Personnel Only".  
  
"Yes, actually," Silver said, smiling at him, "I was just looking for something to trick my little brother with. He's such a pest...he's the reason my boyfriend and I broke up."  
  
"What?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Harry," Hermione said calmly, "She doesn't even _have_ a little brother. She's not talking about you."  
  
"I knew that," Harry mumbled, blushing as he continued to watch.  
  
He hadn't heard what Lurdic had said in response, but he was now gallantly pushing item upon item in front of her face. Suddenly, he stopped. Harry saw his blue eyes spark with an idea.  
  
"You know, you really are lucky," he told Silver, "Because you've come in time for the arrival of my new product – Nosebleed Nuggets!"  
  
"Have I?" Silver replied smoothly.  
  
"Indeed you have. And here they are," he announced, presenting her with a bag which Silver pretended to read intently.  
  
She looked up at him with something akin to anger in her eyes, but it disappeared in a second.  
  
"And what, exactly, do these Nosebleed Nuggets do?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"Well, if you were to break them in half, you would convince him to eat the half that had creates an instant nosebleed," Lurdic said proudly, "And once he was begging you for mercy, you could present him with the other half, that stops it."  
  
"How absolutely brilliant!" Silver exclaimed, "Did you think of that idea all by yourself?"  
  
"I did," Lurdic replied, straightening up and puffing his chest out.  
  
Suddenly Fred and George snuck back out and caught Silver's eye, giving her the thumbs-up sign.  
  
"Oh, you did, did you?" she asked, whapping him smartly on the head with the bag.  
  
He winced and clapped a hand to his head.  
  
"Ouch! What was that for?" he exclaimed.  
  
"Being a stinking, rotten, idea-stealing cockroach," she replied angrily, eyes flashing, "Do the words Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes mean anything to you?"  
  
"No," Lurdic said through gritted teeth.  
  
Silver whapped him again. "Then why are you blushing?" she demanded.  
  
"Listen," Lurdic said, "I don't know who you are or where you came from, but..."  
  
Harry pushed Charisma into George's arms and barged into the store as Lurdic advanced on her, causing her to trip backwards, only barely catching herself.  
  
"As for who she is, she wouldn't want to tell the likes of you," he informed Lurdic angrily, "And as for where she came from, I would have a discussion with your parents about that, if you don't know."  
  
He reached Silver's side and she gratefully clung to his arm.  
  
"Are you Harry Potter?" Lurdic asked, completely sidetracked as his eyes landed on Harry's scar, "In my shop?"  
  
"Yes, and isn't it funny how it's both my first and my last time?" Harry replied, putting an arm around Silver as he guided her towards the door, leaving a very confused-looking Lurdic inside.  
  
Silver, Hermione, and Ginny burst into helpless giggles once they were outside the shop. Fred, George, Harry, and Ron exchanged confused glances. Charisma jumped out of George's arms and stood loyally at Silver's feet.  
  
"May we ask what you lovely ladies are laughing about?" Fred asked.  
  
Having recovered enough to speak, Hermione replied, "Oh, nothing."  
  
The boys exchanged glances. Ginny and Silver soon recovered themselves as well.  
  
"He is so _cute_," Ginny sighed.  
  
"And so dense," Silver answered, to Harry's relief.  
  
"Well, he can afford to be a bit dense," Hermione said, causing her and Ginny to break into giggles again, and Ron to look very jealous.  
  
Silver rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh, come off it, Silver," Ginny urged, "I mean, he has that wavy blonde hair, perfect blue eyes..."  
  
She trailed off with a misty look in her eyes.  
  
"They're not perfect," Silver declared.  
  
Hermione and Ginny looked at her as if she was crazy.  
  
"So," Fred said, interrupting, "Good job, Silver. You were very seductive."  
  
"I was, wasn't I?" Silver replied to nobody in particular.  
  
"Yes, but don't let it go to your head," George warned, "We don't want you to go wrapping guys around your little finger just for fun."  
  
Silver giggled. "I really have no intention of doing that," she replied.  
  
"Good," Harry stated, but she didn't appear to have heard him.  
  
"Of course, there is one guy," she continued dreamily.  
  
Fred and George exchanged worried glances in Harry's direction. Harry felt his heart stop beating.  
  
"He's tall and handsome – just my type," she continued, as Ginny and Hermione hung on her every word.  
  
"He has jet black hair, and gorgeous emerald eyes," she sighed dramatically, "And his name is..."  
  
Hermione and Ginny began to giggle helplessly, as Fred, George, Ron, and Harry tried to think of somebody with jet black hair and 'gorgeous' green eyes.  
  
"Harry Potter," she finished in a theatrical tone as Hermione and Ginny doubled over upon seeing the looks on the boys' faces.  
  
Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him. She turned to him with a mischievous smile.  
  
"You didn't think I was talking about anyone else, now did you?" she teased as she dropped back to walk beside him. As if on cue, all the others sped up, leaving them to themselves.  
  
"Of course not," he lied.  
  
She giggled.  
  
"I thought not," she said, her voice still teasing.  
  
Harry noted that Ron and Hermione had dropped behind again. What was with them? What did they have to say that couldn't be said anywhere else?  
  
"Don't start worrying about Ron and Hermione," Silver warned, as if she had read his thoughts, "They're just being romantic, that's all."  
  
"Do you want me to be more romantic?" he asked worriedly.  
  
She smiled. "Well, we're walking alone, aren't we?"  
  
He grinned. "Suppose so," he answered.  
  
"Hey, lovebirds!" George called, "Come here!"  
  
Harry, Silver, Ron, and Hermione ran to catch up.  
  
"Say, we were wondering if you guys could get back to the house on your own – George and I have stuff to do," Fred said.  
  
"Why can't we stay here?" Ron asked.  
  
"Well, it wouldn't be..." George took a while searching for a suitable word, "safe."  
  
"Because of me?" Silver asked, eyes flashing with that dangerous determined look.  
  
"Well..." Fred began, "Not totally because of you..."  
  
"Oh really?" Silver replied unbelievingly.  
  
"Listen, princess," George said, putting an arm around her shoulder, "I know you're going to think this is way too much of an adult-responsibility type thing for me to say, but I don't want anything to happen to you."  
  
"_We _don't want anything to happen to you," Fred corrected.  
  
George nodded, both of the twins looking more serious than Harry had ever seen them.  
  
"Well, you don't have to worry about me," Silver declared, "I can take care of..."  
  
"Yourself," George finished dryly, "Yes, we know. But do you really want to risk it? It's not just yourself, it's everybody around you, too."  
  
"Oh, so you don't care about..." Silver began hotly.  
  
"Darling, listen," Fred said, "You're like a sister to us. We'd kill for you any day. We care about you, and everybody else here. Stop jumping to conclusions. I hate to sound like Snape, but it's so Gryffindor-like."  
  
A hint of a smile played on Silver's face. "You think?" she asked.  
  
"We know," George answered.  
  
"All right, then," she relented.  
  
"'Atta girl," Fred said.  
  
She smiled at them, and then up at Harry, for some reason unknown to him. Hermione, Fred, and George sported knowing smiles, but Ron and Ginny looked as confused as Harry.  
  
"Your girl, right Harry?" George prompted.  
  
Harry grinned. "Yep," he confirmed, "My girl."


	27. Predictable

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or items.

**Comments: **I couldn't resist - a mushy love chapter. -dreamy sigh- Anyway, for those of you who think these types of chapters are useless, live with it. 'Cause I like 'em.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 27 – Predictable**  
  
Harry awoke with the feeling that he had forgotten something. Ron snored loudly from beside him, not helping with his concentration. The glanced in the corner and saw his Hogwarts robes peeking out of his suitcase. _Today's the last day before we go back to school_, he remembered. He got up and got dressed quietly as Ron practically shattered the room with his snores. Harry stepped out of the room to discover that it didn't seem as if a single soul was awake. He tiptoed to the Sirius' room, in which Silver had once again taken residence in. He gave the closet a wary glance as he walked over to her, half expecting the trapdoor to burst to life at any moment.  
  
He looked down at her and smiled. Charisma slept at the foot of her bed, which was, by all means, an improvement since it meant that the animal didn't go bizerk when it caught him spying on her in her sleep, something he had been doing often. The animal hadn't grown much, but was supposedly going to undergo a 'growth spurt' in a month or so. He turned his attention back to Silver. A hint of a smile played at her lips, and Harry wondered if she was dreaming. He didn't know how long he stared at her, but he was startled when her eyes flickered open suddenly. Usually, before she awoke, she would stir, or give some sign that she was going to awaken, but today she hadn't. For a moment he just looked down into her eyes, surprised.  
  
"Morning, Harry," she said quietly.  
  
"Morning, beautiful," he replied.  
  
She smiled at him.  
  
"Romantic," she informed him.  
  
"I thought so," Harry answered, "and I'm wondering why I haven't gotten a 'thanks-for-being-romantic' kiss yet."  
  
She smiled. "Because you're too far away," she answered.  
  
He obligingly bent down to her and kissed her. He didn't want to have to pull away, but he did, ever so slightly, and looked down at her. _She's so beautiful_, he thought, _and sweet. Why did she choose me?_ He had often wondered this, but whenever he asked her she got a bit annoyed, so he kept his thoughts to himself. She gave him one of her sly smiles and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him back down into another kiss. This time, he had no intention of pulling away for a while. He could sense her surprise as he continued to kiss her. He felt her tense up.  
  
"Harry-"she began, pushing her hands against his chest.  
  
Disappointed, he pulled away slightly. Her eyes were light and alive, and her face was flushed.  
  
"Yes?" he replied.  
  
She seemed to consider something as she looked up at him.  
  
"Um, I have to shower and stuff," she said meekly.  
  
"Right," he said, sitting up and allowing her to do the same.  
  
Charisma awoke and gave a yawn, and then looked from Harry to Silver inquiringly. Silver avoided his gaze as she gathered her clothes and headed for the bathroom, Charisma at her heels. Harry sighed and lay down on her unmade bed, wondering what he had done wrong. He decided to go and see if anybody else was awake yet, and headed down to the living room.  
  
When he walked in, the only greeting he got was the one from their Christmas tree, which neither he nor Lupin could see any reason to discard. It had seemingly become a permanent resident of Grimmauld Place.  
  
"Morning, tree," he greeted it.  
  
It quivered in response.  
  
"Talking to trees, Potter?" came a sneering voice from behind him.  
  
He jumped nearly ten feet into the air with surprise and whirled around with his wand drawn out, only to find that it was Snape, smirking at him annoyingly.  
  
"Going to hex me?" he asked.  
  
Harry shoved his wand back into his pocket, blushing.  
  
"Why didn't you say anything when I walked in?" he muttered.  
  
"Didn't feel like it," Snape replied.  
  
Harry felt a familiar sense of dislike bubbling up inside of him.  
  
"Whatever," he mumbled.  
  
The tree had tilted questioningly at him.  
  
"He's a git," he said in a low voice, so that only the tree could hear him.  
  
"Heard that, Potter," Snape sneered.  
  
"Yeah, so?" Harry replied, feeling more than a bit annoyed at Snape.  
  
"Just wanted you to know," Snape replied with infuriating coolness.  
  
Harry simply stared at him, unable to find words to express what he felt for Snape at that particular moment.  
  
"Just shut up, okay?" he asked, his voice rising a level.  
  
"Don't wake the others because you're having a bad day, Potter," Snape answered.  
  
"I'm not having a bad day, I haven't even had a day," Harry replied.  
  
_But so far my girlfriend has made a lame excuse not to snog me and my least favorite teacher has caught me talking to a tree_, he thought miserably.  
  
"Well if you're going to be so snappy, you may as well go back to bed," Snape answered sensibly.  
  
Harry realized with irritation that Snape was right. In fact, by all standards, Snape was in a relatively good mood this morning. Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he sank into an armchair.  
  
"How can I be having a bad day _already_?" Harry groaned.  
  
"Well, you do seem to manage the impossible very often," Snape replied, "But I, for one, am upholding my end of the bargain and being perfectly decent."  
  
It took Harry a moment to figure out that Snape must know that Silver had made him promise to be nice to Snape. She must have done the same with Snape, he realized. He stared at Snape in disbelief. Silver must be very important to him if he was holding out on an opportunity to attack him.  
  
"How do you know about that?" he growled.  
  
Snape merely smirked. Harry rolled his eyes pointedly and looked away. He heard footsteps on the staircase and soon Hermione appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Good morning!" she greeted him.  
  
Her eyes landed on Snape, and she began to look a bit frightened.  
  
"Good morning, Professor Snape," she said in a sickeningly sweet voice.  
  
Snape smirked. "Morning, Granger," he replied.  
  
Hermione looked surprised that he had answered.  
  
"How's your day, Harry?" she asked pleasantly.  
  
"What's it to you?" Harry exploded, "Does everybody know that I'm having a bad day? Do I have 'idiot' plastered on my forehead or something?"  
  
Hermione looked utterly shocked, and Snape coughed suspiciously. Ron and Ginny soon joined them, and got similar responses from Harry when they greeted him in a particularly good mood. Harry refused to join in a conversation with them, and sat with his arms folded staring in the other direction. Soon Silver walked in, followed closely by Charisma.  
  
"Morning, everyone," she said, smiling especially sweetly at Snape.  
  
Everyone said good morning back except for Harry. She surveyed him with a superior air, and he glared at her.  
  
"Pouting on the couch, are you?" she asked.  
  
"I'm not pouting," he said, intensifying his glare.  
  
"Really now? You look worse than a toddler when their mom refuses to give them a toy they want," she answered.  
  
"I'm not a toddler," he growled.  
  
"Could've fooled me," was her smooth comeback.  
  
He caught sight of Snape, who was gloating in the fact that Silver was mad at Harry. Snape's eyes met his, and Harry gave him a particularly nasty look. Snape smirked in response as Silver walked over and gave him a warm hug. Then Silver turned to him and grabbed him by the hand.  
  
"Come here," she said, dragging him up off the couch.  
  
"I don't want to go anywhere," he grumbled, but she fixed him with a look that clearly stated that he had better, and he allowed her to lead him out of the room.  
  
"Stay," she told Charisma at the foot of the stairs. Immediately the hippogriff planted it's bottom down on the spot.  
  
Silver dragged Harry into Sirius' bedroom and closed the door behind them.  
  
"What are you pouting for?" she demanded.  
  
"I'm not pouting!" he said.  
  
"You're mad because I wouldn't snog you," she accused.  
  
"I am not," he lied.  
  
"Really now?" she asked, walking up to him.  
  
He half expected a slap, so when she pushed him onto the bed, put her arms around him and kissed him, it took him quite by surprise. She drew away, her eyes sparkling.  
  
"Well, are you going to kiss me back?" she demanded.  
  
He quickly put his arms around her and drew her in for a kiss. To further his shock, however, she refused to pull away and continued to kiss him. Not only that, but she kissed him as if her life depended on it. He began to get worried, and managed with difficulty to pull away.  
  
"What're you –"he began, but she silenced him with a kiss so passionate that he completely forgot any worries he may have had.  
  
She pushed him back into a laying-down position, and after a few moments he flipped them over, pausing for breath as he did so. She giggled and pulled him back down to her. Apparently she didn't need oxygen. Harry kissed her back with just as much enthusiasm, hoping that she didn't feel the need to stop anytime soon. Suddenly she pushed him away, although she only managed in getting him to raise his head a few inches. She looked up at him with a mixture of wonder and longing, and he at her. He suddenly realized that the first four buttons of his shirt had somehow become undone. He lowered his lips back down to hers and she raised no protest. He could feel her working on the fifth button of his shirt, and it worried him a bit. He pulled away, although it was one of the hardest things he had ever done.  
  
"Um, Silver, I know you're, um, excited, but my shirt..." he began uncertainly.  
  
"Sorry," she breathed, pulling him back down to her immediately.  
  
Harry was shocked. He had expected a shock for even hinting that she was thinking of him in what she would have normally referred to as 'that way'. It didn't take long for her hands to find new ways of occupying themselves in his hair. One of his hands was hopelessly lost in her own hair, and the other was around her waist as he attempted not to bear down on her with his weight.  
  
Suddenly the door banged open. Harry got one last kiss in as Silver tried to push him away.  
  
"It's break..." George stopped as his eyes fell over them.  
  
"...fast...time..." Fred finished weakly from beside him.  
  
"So, um, come on downstairs," George continued, trying to look as if he came across couples passionately kissing on beds every day.  
  
He and Fred quickly exited, shutting the door behind them. Silver was still pushing uselessly on his chest, and he quickly sat up. He had no idea where his glasses were. He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt as Silver reached for a brush and began combing it through her hair.  
  
"We shouldn't have done that," she said, still breathless.  
  
_Great_, Harry thought, _Thanks to useless things like eating, that won't ever happen again_.  
  
Silver batted his hands away from his shirt and finished buttoning it for him. She handed him his glasses and he slipped them on. Her face was still flushed, and her eyes bright, as she smoothed out his shirt. She looked up into his eyes and a mischievous smile lit her face.  
  
"It was fun, though, wasn't it?" she asked.  
  
He grinned in response.  
  
"Your hair is too messy," she announced.  
  
Harry began to laugh. His hair was hopelessly messy from the start, he could only imagine what it looked like after Silver had run her hands through it so many times.  
  
"Well, you look fine," he answered as she attempted to run her brush through his hair.  
  
She gave him a smug look in response.  
  
"Of course, if I had been unbuttoning _your_ shirt, it might be a different story," he piped up.  
  
"If you had been unbuttoning my shirt you would have a slap across the face," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him.  
  
He grinned impishly. "Yeah, well..." he didn't finish, but followed her out of the room, where she took a sharp left in the direction opposite of the staircase.  
  
"Where are you going?" he asked, following her.  
  
"Just looking," she answered as she surveyed herself in the bathroom mirror.  
  
"What, you don't believe me?" he asked, grinning.  
  
"Not at all," she answered, and being contented with her looks, she dragged him with her to the staircase, where she promptly let go of his hand to catch Charisma, who came bounding up to greet them.  
  
They arrived in the kitchen last, and nobody said anything, although Fred and George gave them repeated odd looks, and several nasty ones in Harry's direction. Hermione seemed to notice this, and gave Harry pointedly questioning looks. Harry just shrugged and returned to his meal. After breakfast, Fred and George walked up to Harry, grabbed each of his arms, and began to lead him firmly up the stairs. Silver, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny followed. Harry ended up in Fred and George's room along with the others.  
  
"Why are you two looking at Harry like that?" Hermione demanded as Fred and George gave him murderous glares.  
  
"The little sneak was snogging her!" Fred replied, sounding outraged as he pointed to Silver.  
  
"Yeah, she's his girlfriend, so what?" Ron replied.  
  
"He was _really_ snogging her," George replied, and Harry couldn't help but smirk.  
  
"You guys," Silver said impatiently.  
  
"No!" Fred exclaimed, "You're like our sister, and he...he was...it was disgusting!"  
  
Silver giggled.  
  
"Don't laugh, it was!" George chimed in, "He hardly even stopped when we came in the room!"  
  
Silver laughed again. "Yes he did," she defended, "And it wasn't disgusting, actually, I rather liked it."  
  
Fred and George looked horrified.  
  
"Yeah, it was her idea in the first place," Harry added.  
  
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were laughing helplessly. Silver flushed slightly at Harry's revelation, but didn't contradict him.  
  
"Sick," Fred and George said in unison, looking at Silver as if she had just commited some sort of crime.  
  
Harry joined in on the other's laughter, but stopped when Silver glared at him evilly.  
  
"Oh, so you think it's funny, do you?" she asked him.  
  
"N...no," he replied.  
  
"Well, we'll just see if that ever happens again," she said, turning and walking from the room.  
  
Hermione and Ginny followed her, leaving the boys alone.  
  
"You just snogged the hottest girl at Hogwarts," Ron said, looking at Harry in awe.  
  
"Yeah, but she's mad at me now," Harry said, looking at the door worriedly.  
  
"She'll get over it," Ron said, "So how was it?"  
  
"What, do you want a blow-by-blow?" Harry asked sarcastically.  
  
"No, but I'd like to know how your shirt got unbuttoned," George said suddenly.  
  
"What do you think, I did it myself?" Harry replied, a bit smugly.  
  
"Ho ho!" Ron exclaimed, and he was echoed by Fred and George.  
  
Then Ron said confidentially, "You know mate, one of these days you might be able to take it all the way."  
  
It took a moment for Harry to process what he had just said. "WHAT?" he exploded, jumping up from the bed.  
  
Fred and George sniggered.  
  
"Sorry, mate," Ron said immediately, "I just thought..."  
  
"What...you thought that's the reason why I'm dating her?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Well...no, but it is one of the reasons...isn't it?"  
  
"NO!" Harry bellowed, "AS IF I WOULD WANT TO...TO..._USE_ HER!"  
  
"Okay, okay, quiet down, mate," Ron said, "I just thought that maybe you would...well, get the most of it..."  
  
"Is that why you're dating Hermione?" Harry challenged.  
  
It was Ron's turn to be shocked. "What...no...never...how...no!" he sputtered.  
  
Harry relaxed. "Good, then," he said.  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
"In!" Fred called.  
  
Silver, Hermione, and Ginny came back in, having successfully recovered themselves. Fred and George began to whisper something, and they turned to Harry with an evil look.  
  
"Harry, we're going to play a game," George announced.  
  
"We're going to ask you questions, and you have to answer them within one second or else we hex you – and we'll hex you good," Fred explained.  
  
"Uh..." Harry said.  
  
"There's no getting out of it," George interrupted, "So here goes."  
  
"Full name?"   
"Harry James Potter."   
"Hair color?"   
"Black."   
"Eye color?"   
"Green."   
"Height?"   
"Erm, 6'3", I think."   
"Age?"   
"Sixteen."   
"In love with?"   
"Silver."  
  
Fred and George began to snigger uncontrollably as Harry realized the implications of what he had just said. He looked at Silver, who was looking at Fred and George with shock. Then she turned to look at him.  
  
"You love me?" she whispered.  
  
He felt his face heat up. "Um, yeah," he answered uncomfortably.  
  
_Please let her say it_, he thought, _Please let her say it_.  
  
She clapped a hand over her mouth and fled from the room. He felt as if he had been slapped across the face. Fred and George's laughter faded. Harry turned on them, feeling anger bubbling up inside him.  
  
"WHAT did you do that for?" he demanded.  
  
"We...we thought she would say it back..." Fred said, looking at the door as if hoping Silver would come back through it.  
  
"Well, she didn't," Harry said icily.  
  
"But she does, mate, really she does," Ron said in an attempt to comfort him.  
  
"Well why did she run away looking like I just disgusted her then?" Harry asked, "I'll tell you why, it's because she doesn't love me!"  
  
With that he jumped up and stormed into his and Ron's room, slamming the door behind him. His anger quickly faded to numb disbelief. _She doesn't love me_, he thought, _Why did I say that? What was I thinking? Why did that answer come to me so easily?_ He sat on his bed, and the answer came to him. He had loved her for a long time – but he hadn't known it. _How long have I loved her?_ He wondered. He remembered the first night he came, and she had looked into his eyes, and he had felt that connection, the connection that was so strong, between the two of them. He had loved her then.  
  
He sank backwards onto his bed, looking at the ceiling hopelessly. Nobody bothered him for what must have been hours. He wallowed in his grief. How could she not love him back? She had looked at him as if he had absolutely revolted her when he had said that. She had run away. She hadn't even wanted to look at him. Thoughts swirled around in his head too fast for him to truly think of them. Suddenly the door opened, and Ron walked in.  
  
"Um, Harry, it's time for lunch," he said.  
  
Harry followed him down the stairs to the kitchen. Everyone was already there. Silver didn't even look at him, in fact, she looked pointedly in the other direction, even though she was sitting across from him. He sat down and stared at his food. It didn't look remotely appetizing. Nobody spoke a word. Harry figured that they must somehow know about the predicament. Suddenly Silver threw down her fork. It hit her plate with a clatter. Everybody jumped except for Harry, who looked up, surprised.  
  
She burst into tears and fled to Sirius' bedroom.  
  
"Predictable," Harry said, as if he had been expecting it all along.  
  
He got up and walked to his room, and then collapsed on his bed. He hadn't taken a single bite.


	28. Like a Rainbow

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or items.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 28 – Like a Rainbow**  
  
Harry groaned as he was awakened by someone shaking him.  
  
"Go away!" he snapped.  
  
"Harry, it's breakfast time," Ron answered, "Mum's going to kill you if you don't come down – you didn't eat lunch or dinner yesterday."  
  
"So what?" he snarled.  
  
"Just come on," Ron answered, leaving the room.  
  
Harry grimly put on his glasses and got dressed. Silver hadn't so much as looked at him since Fred and George's little "game". In fact, except for when he had seen her run out of the room for lunch, he hadn't seen her at all. Snape had brought her dinner in Sirius' room, and had also given him several nasty looks. Harry wondered what was so bad about telling someone that you loved them. He stalked downstairs, ready to let out his bad temper on everyone in the room, and froze when he walked through the kitchen door. After surveying the table numerous times, he finally came to the conclusion that Silver was not there – which was a relief. There was scattered chatter along the table, but nobody spoke much. Harry stared down at his plate intently and played with the food, trying to make shapes with it. Suddenly the door creaked open. Everybody looked up, surprised. Silver was standing at the entrance, looking pointedly at him. Ages seemed to pass as they looked into each other's eyes. Unconsciously, Harry stood up and pushed his chair in.  
  
"Harry," she said quietly, "Don't lie to me."  
  
"I'm not," he answered, feeling as if he were going to choke over his own words, "I love you."  
  
She looked at him for only a moment before bursting into tears.  
  
"H...Harry...h...how...can...y...you...l...l...love...me?" she sobbed.  
  
He shrugged, feeling the eyes of everyone upon him. "I just do," he answered.  
  
She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck.  
  
"I...l...love...y...you...too," she cried.  
  
It took Harry a moment to process what she had just said.  
  
"You do?" he finally asked.  
  
"_Yes_," she sobbed, "I...t...think...s...s...so."  
  
Harry felt as if he had just woken up from the worst nightmare he had ever had. _She loves me_, he thought, feeling extremely lightheaded, _Or at least she thinks she does_.  
  
"Okay," he said slowly, "Well, um, don't cry then..."  
  
She only cried harder. Feeling a bit numb, but mostly self-conscious, he led her from the room and into the living room. She cried the entire way. He sat on the couch, and she on his lap, and for a few minutes she simply cried. He had no idea why she was crying – he felt so happy that he could run laps around the whole house fifty times, yelling with joy. He suddenly noticed that Charisma was watching from the floor. He hadn't even noticed the animal was in the room. Finally, her sobs quieted. He waited until she was fully done crying to loosen his hold on her. She pulled back and looked at him.  
  
"I love you, Harry," she whispered, but she looked frightened. She looked as if she were expecting him to be outraged, to tell her that he didn't love her – but nothing could be further from the truth.  
  
He felt a grin spreading across his face. "I love you, too," he replied.  
  
She began to show hints of a smile. "Do you – _really_?" she asked.  
  
He couldn't have stopped smiling if he wanted to. "Of course I do," he answered.  
  
"Promise?" she asked.  
  
"Promise," he confirmed.  
  
She allowed a smile to cross over her face. "Oh, Harry," she murmured as she hugged him.  
  
She drew back, still smiling, and then kissed him. The world fell away as he pulled her closer, and she him.  
  
"Now, now, children, let's break it up," Lupin's voice said cheerily.  
  
They both flatly ignored him and continued to kiss.  
  
"Come on, kids!" Tonks echoed.  
  
She began to draw away, but Harry only tightened his hold on her.  
  
"POTTER!" Snape roared, "If you don't let go of her I'll hex you so badly you won't be able to kiss ever again!"  
  
Harry reluctantly loosened his hold on her and allowed her lips to leave his. She gazed down at him lovingly and toyed with his hair. He grinned at her and she began to lean forward to kiss him again.  
  
"Silver!" Snape said in a warning tone.  
  
She disappointedly pulled back. They both looked at each other for a long moment before announcing in unison, "I'm hungry!"  
  
"You know where the kitchen is," Lupin answered, smiling.  
  
The two of them were soon sitting alone in the kitchen eating a rather large breakfast, seeing as neither of them had had anything to eat except for breakfast the previous morning. Charisma was being treated to the leftover scraps of bacon and sausage.  
  
"So," Harry said suddenly, "Why did you cry?"  
  
She looked at him, puzzled.  
  
"This morning, when I told you that I loved you. Why did you cry?" he asked.  
  
"Well...because I was happy," she answered, as if people usually burst into tears when they were happy.  
  
"Ah," he said confusedly, "Right."  
  
She smiled and shook her head.  
  
"I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner," she said quietly, "But you just...you just took me by surprise. Apart from...well, I've only had one other person tell me that they loved me, and they weren't exactly using it in the same context."  
  
"Who?" Harry asked.  
  
She looked up at him, as if debating on whether to tell him or not. "I shouldn't say," she said finally.  
  
Harry nodded. He knew it was Snape, anyhow, he was just seeing if she would tell him. The two finished their meals and looked up at each other.  
  
"How long have you loved me?" she asked finally.  
  
"Well..." he paused, "I think it was since I first saw you."  
  
She smiled. "I remember," she answered.  
  
"How long have you loved me?" he ventured.  
  
"Not as long as you have me," she replied, eyes sparkling.  
  
He felt a bit disappointed. _She loves you now_, he reminded himself, _So it doesn't matter_.  
  
"Since you introduced yourself," she continued, and then mimicked, "I'm Potter. I mean Harry. Potter Harry. No, Harry Potter."  
  
He grinned. "Well then, definitely not as long as I've loved you," he said, as if he were confirming his worst fear.  
  
"I don't know how, though, Harry," she said, her smile fading, "I just don't know how. I've never trusted anybody so quickly before. And I never thought...I never thought you would say that to me."  
  
"Why not?" he asked.  
  
"Well, because...I'm just not...loveable," she said, as if this were something everyone knew.  
  
"Not loveable?" he repeated in disbelief, "You most certainly are."  
  
She looked up at him not with happiness, or with a smile in her eye, as he would have expected, but with pain.  
  
"Harry," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears, "My own _mother_ doesn't love me. Nobody ever loved me."  
  
"But you weren't around normal people," he said, "I mean, they're called Death Eaters, for heaven's sake."  
  
She didn't look convinced. He reached over and pulled her into his arms. She snuggled up to him immediately. Harry stroked her hair, wondering how somebody so affectionate could deem themself unloveable.  
  
"You're perfectly loveable," he told her, "And do you know how I know that?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Because I love you," he replied, "And that's not all. _Snape_ loves you. Snape is the most unloveable person anyone has ever met – but he loves you. And it takes somebody extremely loveable to earn Snape's love."  
  
She didn't answer. "Harry?" she asked finally.  
  
"Hmm?" he replied.  
  
"Will you ever stop loving me?" she asked. Her question was sincere and fearful.  
  
"No," he answered firmly, "And don't even ask what I no you're going to ask. The answer is no. Never. I will not stop loving you, no matter what you do. I promise."  
  
"I promise, too, Harry," she said quietly, "I won't stop loving you, either."  
  
His heart ached with the sincerity of her words. She was so wholly honest that it hurt. He hugged her fiercely, squeezing his eyes shut. He vowed to hurt the Death Eaters who had given her such a false opinion of herself. Especially her mother. He decided that it was time to lighten the subject.  
  
"We've got some catching up to do," he informed her.  
  
"Do we, now?" she replied amusedly.  
  
"Yep. Lots," he answered, "I mean, we haven't seen each other since lunch yesterday."  
  
She giggled, and he watched with a pleased smile. Everything seemed a million times better now that he knew that she loved him. It was like a rainbow had come out after a storm. Mrs. Weasley poked her head in the door.  
  
"Oh, good, you're done," she said, "It's time to go."  
  
They obliged her, and Harry noted Charisma once more.  
  
"Um, are you taking her to school?" he asked, looking down at the silver creature.  
  
Silver smiled. "Of course I am," she replied, bending down and petting a very pleased-looking Charisma.  
  
"Have you asked Dumbledore?" he asked skeptically.  
  
"Dumbledore doesn't need to know," she replied, "Not yet, anyway."  
  
Harry grinned. "Well, aren't you a sneaky little thing?" he asked playfully.  
  
She looked up at him mischievously. "You've just noticed?" she teased.  
  
They met up with the others at the curb – Harry assumed they were going to be taking the Knight Bus to the Platform. Fred and George looked especially apprehensive.  
  
"Harry, mate," Fred began.  
  
"You're not still mad at us, are you?" George asked.  
  
"Nah," Harry replied casually.  
  
They both looked immensely relieved.  
  
"Good," they said together.  
  
They smiled at Harry, and he smiled back. He suddenly noticed that Silver had left his side. He looked around and saw her with her arms around a slightly annoyed looking Snape.  
  
"I'll miss you," she was saying.  
  
"Nonsense," he replied curtly.  
  
Harry grinned. Snape was so...Snape-ish. But Silver loved him anyway. Snape suddenly caught Harry's eye. For a moment, they just looked at each other. Snape neither sneered nor smiled, and Harry stared back with equal blankness. Then Snape looked down at Silver, and said something quietly. Silver looked back at him and then up at Snape, her arms still around him. Snape nodded and stepped back out of her embrace. She came to stand next to Harry once more.  
  
"What was all that about?" he inquired.  
  
"Oh, nothing," she replied.  
  
He didn't get to answer her, because at that moment Mrs. Weasley swept him up in a bone-crushing hug, much to Silver's amusement. Then, Mrs. Weasley turned to Silver, who quickly proceeded lose all amusement and develop a sudden fear. She looked around for Snape.  
  
"Silver," Harry said, "She just wants to hug you – go ahead."  
  
Silver looked at Mrs. Weasley for a moment and then stepped forward hesitantly. Mrs. Weasley looked as if all her dreams had come true. She reached for Silver, and as she settled her arms around her, Silver flinched. Mrs. Weasley hugged her tenderly, and Harry saw something akin to shock in her eyes. Mrs. Weasley stepped back and Silver nearly bolted backwards, not looking apologetic in the least. Harry and the others watched with interest. After the rest of the goodbyes had been said (Silver had no problem hugging Mr. Weasley), they boarded the train. As they sat down, Ron was looking at Silver strangely.  
  
"Why don't you like my mum?" he asked finally.  
  
Silver looked surprised. "It's not that I don't like your mom, Ron," she said, "It's just that she's...well, she's a...a girl."  
  
"What's that got to do with it?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione elbowed him sharply, perhaps more so than she had meant to, for she lost her balance when the bus took off.  
  
"Ouch!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Ron, you are so thick!" Hermione exclaimed, "She doesn't like women!"  
  
"Why not?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione gave an impatient sigh and rolled her eyes. "She hasn't had the best _experiences_ with them," she said pointedly.  
  
"Oh," Ron said, as realization dawned in his eyes.  
  
Silver avoided eye contact with everyone, until Harry put his hand under her chin and turned her to face him.  
  
"It's okay, you know," he told her.  
  
She shook her head. "But Harry, it's not," she protested, "I am so...so..."  
  
"Beautiful? Amazing? Loveable?" Harry provided. "It's not a bad thing to make people earn your trust, you know," he told her.  
  
"I suppose," she replied doubtfully, "But I have no reason not to trust Mrs. Weasley..."  
  
"And no reason to trust her," Harry reminded her. "Just because you're more observant than others, doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you."  
  
"I suppose," she said again.  
  
They didn't get a chance to continue their conversation because the bus turned a nasty corner. Esperanza screeched loudly, and Charisma began to squeal as she slid down along the aisle towards the stairs.  
  
"Charisma!" Silver exclaimed.  
  
Charisma began to beat her wings frantically, and while she didn't get an inch off the ground, it gave her a sort of propeller to help her reach Silver's outstretched arms. Silver quickly scooped her up off the ground and held the frightened animal.  
  
Harry reached out and petted it, too, and Silver was surprised.  
  
"Wow, Harry," she said quietly, "She trusts you."  
  
"Guess I'm a trustable guy," he replied.  
  
She smiled. "Guess so," she agreed.  
  
"So, how do you understand them?" Harry asked, looking at Esperanza and Charisma, "Can you read their thoughts?"  
  
"Yes, something like that," Silver answered, "And they can pretty much do the same with me."  
  
"Doesn't that ever scare you?" he asked. He wouldn't like it if somebody knew his thoughts all the time.  
  
"Not really," she answered, "It's not like they're going to tell anybody."  
  
"But, I mean...what if...an animal hurt you?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh, they won't hurt me," Silver replied assuredly, "It's against their law to touch humans that speak their language. If they do, they risk the punishment of the others."  
  
"Oh," Harry said dumbly, "Animals have laws?"  
  
"Well, only a very few common ones," Silver replied, "Because not all animals are capable of understanding the same things. Fish, for example, can only understand extremely simple things. Tigers and wolves – and owls, like Esperanza, can understand most things. Magical creatures, like Charisma, are born with an innate wisdom, and are capable of understanding everything we can, sometimes more."  
  
"That's weird," Harry said, looking at Charisma, "So she's not...well, she's not really a baby?"  
  
"Not in the same sense we see babies," Silver answered intelligently, "She is young and inexperienced, but she has her own feelings, thoughts, and opinions, unlike babies of our kind."  
  
Harry felt that the whole thing was way over his head. He almost wished he hadn't asked.  
  
"It's hard to understand," he said finally, "But anyway, why aren't they allowed to hurt you?"  
  
"Well, it goes way back," Silver replied, "You see, only wizards and witches that are pureblood at least one generation back are capable of being what the animals call an Understander. I know I'm considered a half- blood because my father was born from a muggle-family, but really I should be called...a quarter-blood, I guess. Anyway, it all started with one wizard who was born with the gift. He created a bond with every animal he met, and was always kind to them, and helped them. His children were the same, as were their children, and so on. Since no Understander had ever done anything harmful to the animals, and had, in fact, protected them, it became a common law among animals never to touch one."  
  
Harry was glad that he could at least understand that. "So they automatically know if you are one?" he asked.  
  
"Well, yes, if you happen to be thinking at the time," Silver said, "As it is very likely that you will be, to them, it sounds as if you are speaking out loud, or at least muttering. They tell me that when they look at me, they see a white light glowing all around me, and that is what tells them that I am an Understander."  
  
Harry nodded. "That's kind of weird...and kind of cool," he said.  
  
Ginny, Ron, and Hermione had been listening to the conversation as well, and nodded in agreement with Harry.  
  
"So, can you still become an Animagus? Even though you can talk to animals?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes," Silver replied, "In fact, it is supposed to be easier for me, although I have never attempted it. I have done some extra studies on it, though, and I would like to learn to be one someday."  
  
Hermione nodded. "It would be interesting to see what form you take," she said.  
  
Silver smiled. "That's partly why I'm tempted to do it," she admitted.  
  
She looked down at Charisma. "Charisma thinks I would be a bird of some sort," she informed them.  
  
"Why does she think that?" Ginny asked interestedly.  
  
Silver looked questioningly down at Charisma, who squeaked a reply.  
  
"She says I have a free spirit," Silver replied.  
  
Nobody replied, for the bus lurched to a stop and Stan called, "Platform Nine an' Three Quarters!"  
  
They grabbed their things and stepped off of the bus. Then they all looked at each other.  
  
"You first," they all said at once.  
  
"I'll go," Silver volunteered.  
  
Harry felt a sudden feeling of foreboding.  
  
"Right," he said, trying to shake it off.  
  
"Is something the matter, Harry?" she asked.  
  
The feeling of urgency intensified.  
  
"Go!" he exclaimed, frightening her, "Now!"  
  
"What-"she began.  
  
"Hurry!" he exclaimed.  
  
Obediently she turned and ran towards the barrier, Charisma bounding after her.  
  
"Go!" Harry yelled, without knowing why.  
  
She disappeared behind the barrier, and just as Harry was beginning to feel relieved, his scar seemed to ignite. He gave a yelp of pain and clapped his hands to his head.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, "What happ-"  
  
"Barrier! NOW!" he roared, one hand on his scar, the other pointing at the barrier.  
  
"Ginny, go," Hermione said.  
  
Ginny looked as if she were about to protest, but she went anyway.  
  
Suddenly Harry heard a familiar laughter.  
  
"Aw, well if it isn't widdle Hawy Potter," Lestrange cooed, "Whassamatter, does your widdle scar huwt?"  
  
Harry spun around, wand pointed at her. Ron and Hermione grabbed a hold of him and forced him back.  
  
"Let...me...go," he roared, trying to somehow point his wand at Lestrange while his arm was twisted backwards.  
  
"Harry, not here!" Hermione replied, "Can't you see what she's doing? She _wants_ you to attack her, so that she can beat you and Voldemort to will get you!"  
  
"What do you want?" Harry spat at Lestrange, completely ignoring Hermione.  
  
"Not you, sweetie," Lestrange replied in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Not you. Now you just go to school like a good widdle boy."  
  
Harry fought against Ron and Hermione, who were having a hard time restraining him.  
  
"Let me go!" he roared, "She wants S-"  
  
Something burned in his pocket. It was the torch – he had gotten so used to carrying it with him that he had forgotten about it. It was trying to tell him something...he realized that he was about to give away the fact that he knew Silver.  
  
"Somebody," he finished lamely.  
  
Lestrange may have been annoying, but she wasn't stupid.  
  
"Somebody, is it?" she asked, scrutinizing him carefully, "Are you sure that's what you were going to say?"  
  
"Oh, no, of course not," he answered sarcastically, "I always forget what I'm going to say, so I'm never sure if I meant to say something or not."  
  
Lestrange looked as if she wasn't quite sure whether to believe him or not. Ron and Hermione dragged him backwards.  
  
"Harry," Ron said, "If we let go of you, do you promise to take your trolley and go through the barrier?"  
  
Harry nodded. They let go of him and he turned away from Lestrange, his pocket still warm from the heat of the torch. He remembered what had happened last time he had been mad at Lestrange and the torch had been with him, and that was enough to keep his temper under control for the moment. He walked through the barrier, where Silver was waiting for him.  
  
"Harry?" she asked, "What happened?"  
  
"Let's get a compartment?" he answered.  
  
She nodded. Thankfully, they found an empty compartment. Harry noted suddenly that Ginny was gone.  
  
"Where's Ginny?" he asked.  
  
"Um, some boy asked her to sit with them, so she went," she replied.  
  
Harry nodded. Ginny sure had a lot of boyfriends these days – he knew Ron was going to have a fit when he found out. He looked at Silver to see her waiting expectantly. He withdrew the torch, and fingered it as he explained to her what had happened. By the time he had finished, she was completely pale.  
  
"L...L...Lestrange?" she stammered, "Oh, Harry!"  
  
She flew into his arms, surprising him. He found that she was shaking.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"I don't like her," Silver replied, "I don't like her at all."  
  
Harry didn't push the matter, seeing as the mention of her made Silver shake even more.  
  
"It's okay," he soothed, "She's not here any more. You're safe with me."  
  
She eventually stopped, and looked up at him reverently.  
  
"I'm so glad you're safe, Harry," she said.  
  
He smiled. "Course I am," he reassured her.  
  
He gently massaged her back, trying to calm her, and within a matter of minutes she was asleep. He moved into a laying-down position on his back, with his head propped up against the wall behind him. It was a bit uncomfortable, but he wasn't complaining – he had her in his arms, right where she needed to be. After a while, he, too, fell asleep, his arms unconsciously tightening around her as he did so.  
  
"Harry? Harry? The train stopped," somebody was saying.  
  
Harry felt Silver stir and suddenly whipped out his wand and opened his eyes, somehow thinking it was Malfoy. He found instead a very frightened- looking Neville.  
  
"Oh, sorry Neville," Harry apologized as he realized that Malfoy would certainly not be waking him up in such a pleasant manner.  
  
He pocketed his wand once more and turned his attention to Silver, who was still sleeping peacefully on him.  
  
"Silver, the train stopped," he said softly, rubbing her back.  
  
"Hmm?" she asked sleepily.  
  
"The train stopped. We're at Hogwarts," he told her.  
  
"But I'm warm," she protested weakly as she got up.  
  
He grinned. "I was too," he assured her.  
  
She suddenly saw Neville and blushed, although not as much as Neville was. Stammering something about finding Luna, he quickly left the compartment. Silver looked a bit flustered, but said nothing as she gathered her things. Harry grinned.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, "You got all embarrassed when you saw Neville."  
  
"Well, it's just that...well, if I had really said what was on my mind..." she trailed off, blushing.  
  
"And what was that?" he asked, barring the exit with his arm.  
  
"Harry," she protested, attempting to squeeze past him and not succeeding.  
  
"Tell me," he prompted.  
  
She gazed at him defiantly, although she was still blushing, and he reluctantly stepped out of her way.  
  
"I know it had to be good if you won't tell me," he quipped as they walked towards the exit.  
  
"Well then you can just imagine all sorts of wonderful things," she replied.  
  
Charisma made a clucking noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter.  
  
They stepped off the train and looked up at the Hogwarts castle, which looked particularly beautiful. Silver leaned into his arms and sighed contentedly.  
  
"I love you," he reminded her, in case she had forgotten.  
  
"I...I love you, too," she replied.  
  
Although she sounded hesitant, Harry knew that it was very hard for her to say it in the first place, and that she would not have said it unless she meant it. And that was enough for him.


	29. Headaches

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**----------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 29 – Headaches  
**  
Harry awoke with a headache on Monday, as well as having his scar prickle uncomfortably. He was a bit irritable as he dressed, and immediately the rest of the boys saw fit to leave him alone. He stalked down the stairs muttering under his breath about headaches and scars, and when Silver looked up at him, she seemed to be amused.  
  
"Headache, Harry?" she asked sweetly.  
  
He glared at her as he sat down on the couch. She wasn't doing much to help him stay in his bad mood. She had her hair in very natural-looking curls today, a bit like Hermione's, and some sparkly stuff on her lips, and to say the least, she looked very pretty.  
  
She giggled. "Fine, if you're going to give up your good-morning kiss because you have want to have a temper tantrum, I'm not going to stop you," she said as she turned back to Hermione to continue their previous conversation.  
  
Harry thought about it only a second before reaching out and pulling her towards him. There were a few stifled laughs around the room from those watching. She turned to him with a smile.  
  
"I thought so," she informed him as she kissed him sweetly.  
  
His headache didn't go away, but it lessened considerably. She smelled so fresh and sweet, and whatever was on her lips tasted good. His scar, however, began to feel as if it were heating up. They parted, and he rubbed a hand over it.  
  
"Stupid, good-for-nothing scar," he muttered under his breath.  
  
"It hurts?" Silver asked concernedly, "Did you have any dreams last night?"  
  
"Not that I can remember," he replied as it continued to heat uncomfortably, "It feels like it's getting hot."  
  
Silver put a cool hand on his forehead and frowned. She traced his scar gently with her finger, causing a tingling sensation, and then looked him in the eye.  
  
"It feels perfectly cool to me," she said.  
  
He rubbed it again. "Well, it's really hot, now," he said as it began to burn.  
  
She looked at him a moment as if considering what to do. He began to rub his scar furiously as it continued to heat up to a very uncomfortable level. She took his hand away and took his face in her hands. She placed a gentle kiss on top of his scar, and immediately he felt relief spreading through his entire body. His scar went down to a minor heat level, and his headache lessened considerably. She pulled away and looked at him questioningly.  
  
"It worked," he said in amazement, "How'd you do that?"  
  
She smiled. "Go see Dumbledore," she replied.  
  
"I'll see him tonight in Occ-"he began, but she put a finger to his lips.  
  
"Go...see...Dumbledore," she repeated slowly.  
  
"Alright," he agreed reluctantly.  
  
She smiled. He leaned back, thinking he would just sit and watch her for a moment, but his scar began to heat up again right away.  
  
"Ah!" he exclaimed in frustration, clapping his hand to it, "Can't the stupid thing give me a rest?"  
  
Silver gave him a sympathetic smile and stood up with him. She gave him a hug and another kiss on his scar, which relieved it a bit, and he playfully planted a kiss on her lips before turning to go. He had barely taken a step before he heard a squeal and was forced to jump backwards as something silver launched itself up at him.  
  
"Charisma!" Silver exclaimed.  
  
Immediately Charisma stopped trying to attack him and sat down docilely at his feet.  
  
"Uh, morning," he told it.  
  
Charisma squeaked happily and rubbed against his leg, leaving him partially amused as he left the portrait hole. He didn't really want to go see Dumbledore about his scar, but he knew Silver wanted him to, so he did. Plus, it was beginning to heat up again. By the time he reached the gargoyle, it was broiling. Rubbing it furiously, he exclaimed, "Fizzing Wizbee!" at the gargoyle, who didn't move. Harry groaned and continued to rub his scar as fast as he could.  
  
"Listen up!" he yelled at the gargoyle, "My scar is about to light on fire and I need to talk to Dumbledore! I _highly suggest_ that you move your big stone butt out of the way!"  
  
The gargoyle stayed still, which raised both his temper and the temperature of his scar. He gave a yelp of pain as it continued to heat to what he was sure were unnatural levels.  
  
"Cauldron cakes! Pumpkin juice! Acid Pops!" he yelled, to no avail.  
  
"IF YOU DON'T OPEN UP MY HEAD IS GOING TO LIGHT ON FIRE!" he bellowed.  
  
The gargoyle suddenly sprung open. Harry gave it a kick for good measure as he ran up the stairs and burst into Dumbledore's office. Professor McGonagall and Snape were there, and looked surprised at the sudden interruption.  
  
"Scar!" Harry yelled, pointing to his scar, which he was now hitting in an attempt to cool back down. "Hot!"  
  
He did a sort of dance in place as he beat himself over the head in vain attempts to cool it down. Professor Dumbledore walked to the back of his room and came back with a big bowl of water. Harry plunged his head into it before Dumbledore could even set it down anywhere. It was icy cold, but it seemed to have a bit of an effect on his burning head. Slowly the scar cooled down, and when Harry could hold his breath no longer, he withdrew his head. He groaned as he ran a hand over his face. Except for his lukewarm scar, his whole face was numb from the icy cold water, and his headache seemed to have gotten worse. Dumbledore, who had been holding the bowl for Harry the entire time, set it down on the desk without comment and conjured up another chair for Harry, who sat gratefully, water dripping down his face.  
  
"That bloody hurt," he said finally.  
  
"Language, Harry," Dumbledore reminded him politely.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized.  
  
"So, Harry, care to describe your morning for me?" Dumbledore asked, as if Harry was going to tell him a particularly cheerful children's story.  
  
"Why not?" Harry replied, a bit sarcastically. "Well, I woke up with a headache, and my scar kind of...prickled. So I went downstairs and sat down, and it started to warm up. It got really hot, so Silver..."  
  
He paused, remembering that Snape was in the room. He gave him a half apologetic, half smug glance as he continued.  
  
"...kissed it for me, and that kind of cooled it down a little. Then, when I came to see you, it started heating up again really bad, and well...now it's fine," he finished.  
  
He glanced at the bowl of water. "I didn't think that cold water would help," he said, feeling a bit dumb, "Sorry."  
  
"Oh, no apologies, Harry, that's not regular water," Dumbledore replied brightly, "I doubt regular water would have helped for long."  
  
"Oh," Harry replied, staring at the bowl once more and wondering if it was going to cause weird side effects, "So what is it?"  
  
"It's a heat relief potion," Snape supplied.  
  
"So...you knew this was going to happen to me?" Harry gathered, looking from Snape to Dumbledore.  
  
"No, actually," Dumbledore replied, "But I've always had a supply handy, for we've had a Quidditch player or two become overheated, and this potion seemed to work particularly well."  
  
"Oh," Harry answered again, looking down at the potion, "It's not going to do anything weird to my face, is it?"  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "No, no, Harry, it won't do anything that regular water wouldn't do," he assured him.  
  
Harry felt partially relieved. "So, why did my scar heat up like that?" he asked.  
  
"Well, Harry, truthfully, I cannot be sure, but I suspect Voldemort did that accidentally through having a spell or potion backfire on him," Dumbledore replied, "Which caused him to become extremely hot, which transferred the feeling on to your scar."  
  
"It was a potion," Snape supplied, "I brewed it for him."  
  
"Very well," Dumbledore said agreeably.  
  
Harry looked at Snape in shock. "You messed up a potion for Voldemort – on purpose?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing gets past you, does it, Potter?" he sneered in reply.  
  
"Now, now, Severus," Dumbledore said lightly.  
  
"So now I can feel whatever temperatures Voldemort feels?" Harry asked miserably.  
  
"No, no, only if it's in the extreme," Dumbledore assured him, "And I assume you were also feeling his anger at having something backfire on him."  
  
Harry sighed. "Great," he said, "Next time Voldemort gets caught in a blizzard, I'm going to start freezing my butt off."  
  
This got a chuckle out of both Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, who had previously been silent. Harry then remembered the previous day at the Platform, and proceeded to tell Dumbledore what had happened.  
  
"Lestrange?" Professor McGonagall said in shock, "Surely not! She wouldn't go where there are so many people – she's a wanted Death Eater!"  
  
"And a stupid one, at that," Harry added.  
  
"Bella was always a bit overconfident," Dumbledore mused, "But I suppose nobody would really recognize her, would they?"  
  
"_I_ recognized her," Harry pointed out.  
  
"Yes, that you did," Dumbledore agreed, "But you could not have taken her on yourself."  
  
Harry began to get mad.  
  
"Oh, so you're saying that the one person who can defeat Voldemort can't even handle one of his little Death Eaters?" he asked, annoyance lacing his voice.  
  
"I am," Dumbledore agreed, "Because you are not ready, Harry, for Voldemort or Lestrange."  
  
"What is the boy saying, Albus?" Professor McGonagall interrupted, "The only person who can defeat You-Know-Who?"  
  
"Is Harry," Dumbledore finished, "But that information is up to him to disclose."  
  
Professor McGonagall and Snape both turned their eyes on him.  
  
"No," he said flatly, glaring at Snape.  
  
"Very well, then," Dumbledore said agreeably, "But back to the subject, I do not think you could have taken on Lestrange alone, at the Platform, with no prior preparation and your temper getting the better of you."  
  
"My temper hasn't got a hold of me!" Harry exclaimed, before he realized what he had just said.  
  
Snape smirked at him, and he glared back. Dumbledore chuckled.  
  
"Very well, then," he said, "Do you wish to discuss anything else with me, Harry?"  
  
Harry looked at Dumbledore a long moment, before replying, "Not right now."  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Very well, I'll see you tonight," he said, "I doubt you will continue to have problems with your scar, but if you do, please let me know."  
  
"Alright," Harry agreed, but he stopped on his way out. "What's the password?" he asked.  
  
"Ah, I've changed it back to lemon drop," Dumbledore said, eyeing a tray of yellow candies fondly on his desk.  
  
Harry nodded and left. He entered the Great Hall, and began to get a lot of weird stares, although he didn't know why. When he finally arrived at Gryffindor table, his friends were looking at him oddly. He looked at Silver, who looked halfway between a laugh and concern.  
  
"What?" he demanded.  
  
"You're all wet, honey," she informed him bemusedly.  
  
For a moment he was so happy that she called him 'honey' that he hardly took in what she said. Then he realized that his hair was still dripping.  
  
"Oh," he said, "Right. I had to dunk my head in some sort of cold potion."  
  
She smiled at him. "Well, are you feeling better now?" she asked as she tipped some eggs and bacon onto his plate for him.  
  
"Yeah," he said, sinking into a seat and ignoring all the weird looks he was getting.  
  
"Charisma," Silver was saying to something under the table, "Will you please go get a towel?"  
  
Charisma bounded out from under the table and towards Gryffindor tower.  
  
"Are you going to take her to classes with you?" Harry asked in disbelief.  
  
"Of course," Silver said, as if magical creatures were normally allowed in class.  
  
From looking at Ron and Hermione, he could tell they had had this conversation before. Not surprisingly, Silver had won.  
  
"Good thing our first class is Care of Magical Creatures," he answered.  
  
Silver smiled. "Hagrid's going to love her," she declared.  
  
Harry agreed. Charisma soon returned with a towel on her back.  
  
"I don't want that thing touching me after it's been on her back!" Harry protested as Silver began to dry his hair.  
  
"Harry," she said, "Hippogriffs don't like to be insulted – remember that."  
  
"Oh," he said, gazing down at an angry-looking Charisma, "Right. Sorry, Charisma. I didn't mean that I don't like you or anything."  
  
He held out his hand in the offended hippogriff's direction, and after a moment of contemplation, she came over and rubbed against it. Silver smiled as she finished with the towel.  
  
"Well, it's drier than before," she said, "But a tad messier."  
  
Harry laughed, and she joined in, but the moment was ruined by a familiar sneering voice.  
  
"Aw, does Potty need someone to dry his hair for him?"  
  
Silver rolled her eyes and looked pointedly in the other direction.  
  
"What's wrong?" Draco teased, "Don't wanna stick up for wethead over here?"  
  
Silver spun around, fire flashing in her eyes. Her hair landed in every which direction, making her look beautiful and wild.  
  
"Go away, Malfoy," she spat, "You must have better things to do than to insult my boyfriend."  
  
"Actually," he began, but the smile suddenly faded from his face. "Your what?"  
  
"Boy. Friend. Boyfriend." Silver replied, tossing her head.  
  
Parvati and Lavender began squealing and giggling a few seats down, and Dean and Seamus looked surprised. Neville smiled as if he had known all along. And to Harry's surprise, Draco laughed. He laughed too hard to say anything for a few seconds, but then recovered himself.  
  
"Potter wouldn't know what to do with a girlfriend," Draco said, eyeing Harry with amusement.  
  
"And I suppose you would?" Silver asked.  
  
Draco stepped closer to her, smirking. "I can show you anytime," he said in a low voice.  
  
Harry opened his mouth to verbally assault Draco and everything about him, from his friends to his family, but Silver beat him to it.  
  
"Unfortunately for you, I'm not interested," she said smoothly.  
  
"Not yet," Draco challenged.  
  
"Not ever," Silver answered.  
  
Draco gave her a sickening smile. "I like a challenge," he informed her, wiggling his eyebrows at her.  
  
"Then try and be decent for a change. Should be challenge enough, for you," Silver answered, turning back to her breakfast.  
  
He frowned for a moment, but then recovered himself. "I don't know why I'm wasting my time on a filthy little half-blood like you," he said, "You should consider yourself lucky. Your father would have been proud of you for choosing me."  
  
Silver froze. Draco had said the one thing he shouldn't have. She whirled around, stood up, and slapped him across the face in one fluid movement. The sound reverberated across the room, and the Great Hall grew suddenly silent.  
  
"Shove off, Malfoy," Silver spat, "And don't you _ever_ talk to me about my father again!"  
  
Charisma growled at Silver's feet more threateningly than Harry had ever heard.  
  
Draco looked momentarily stunned. For a moment he stood there looking at Silver, and in the blink of an eye Charisma leapt out from under the table and began to slash at him with her talons. Draco yelped and began to back up. Charisma growled and snapped at him until he turned to walk away. The Great Hall exploded.  
  
"Did you see that?"   
"She _told_ him!"   
"That was a hard slap!"   
"What is that weird little thing?"  
  
Silver sat down, shaking with anger. Harry reached out and drew her to him.  
  
"What a...a..." she muttered something inappropriate into the front of Harry's robes, making him chuckle.  
  
"You did good," he told her, "He's had that coming for a long time, now."  
  
"I hate him," she said passionately, "He has no right to...to..."  
  
"I know," Harry assured her, "I know."  
  
She put her arms around him and held him tightly, her face against his, and he was not quite sure why.  
  
"Your hair is still wet," she told him, her voice slightly muffled by the fact that she was speaking against his neck.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly.  
  
She sat all the way down, and her head only came up to his chest. Then she pulled away, and looked at him for a moment before returning to her breakfast. Harry was drawn to her hair once more. It looked particularly beautiful today for some reason.  
  
"What did you do to your hair?" he asked curiously.  
  
She and Hermione shot him patronizing looks, and Ron snickered, although he could not figure out why for a few seconds.  
  
"No! I didn't mean it like that! I like it!" he exclaimed.  
  
Ron guffawed quietly, and Harry glared at him.  
  
Silver smiled. "I know, honey," she said, "It's just not the best way to ask."  
  
Harry grinned at her mention of him as 'honey' once more.  
  
"Can I try again?" he asked.  
  
"Of course," she said graciously.  
  
Harry cleared his throat and straightened up, aware that most of Gryffindor table had been watching this exchange.  
  
"Why, darling!" he exclaimed, widening his eyes and picking up a lock of her hair, "Your hair looks so lovely this morning!"  
  
Half the table burst into stifled laughter as they waited for Silver's response.  
  
"Why thank you, sweetie," she replied dutifully, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.  
  
The table burst into applause and laughter, and Harry grinned sheepishly.  
  
The bell rang, and they started off to Care of Magical Creatures. On the way, people bombarded Silver with questions about Charisma. Silver was careful not to say that Snape had gotten the animal for her, but merely said it was a Christmas present from somebody she knew well. Charisma loved the attention, and put on quite a show for everyone as she pranced about by Silver's feet. Parvati and Lavender thought she was just the 'cutest little thing', and insisted on walking ridiculously close to them the entire way. Hagrid was delighted at Silver's choice of a pet. When he reached down to pet Charisma and the hippogriff bit him firmly in the finger, drawing an alarming amount of blood for such a small bite, Hagrid chuckled and said, "That one's a keeper!"  
  
In History of Magic, Professor Binns was a bit skeptical of Charisma, but after Silver's promise that she was well-trained and very well-mannered, he allowed the animal to sit underneath Silver's desk so long as she didn't attract any attention. Charisma seemed to realize that her staying depended on her manners, so she used the classroom to take a nap, like many of the other students.  
  
Divination was a different story. Silver had to practically get down on her knees and beg that Charisma be allowed to stay, and in the end she threatened to leave the class if Charisma couldn't come with her. Of course, Charisma ended up sitting with Silver, Harry, and Ron during class. Harry and Ron made a great show of trying to read Charisma's future, which Professor Trelawny wholeheartedly approved of, since they were so 'excited of the use of the Inner Eye'.  
  
Lunch was spent warding off everyone who wanted to know if Silver was really going to attempt to bring Charisma in Potions or not.  
  
"Of course I am, now stop asking me so I can eat," was Silver's response.  
  
When they finally headed to Potions, Silver seemed a bit nervous.  
  
"Have you asked Snape if you can bring her in?" Ron asked.  
  
"Well, no," Silver said, playing with the edge of her robes anxiously, "But he just has to let me."  
  
Ron, Harry, and Hermione exchanged glances. They all knew that Snape was not likely to allow the animal in his class, even if he had bought it for her.  
  
They entered the classroom hesitantly. Snape looked up at their arrival, and his eyes settled on Charisma.  
  
"Miss Riddle, may I ask what is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his eyes resting on Charisma.  
  
"Well, Professor Snape," Silver said meekly, "She was a Christmas present, you see, and she's just a baby, so I'm kind of like her mother, and she can't bear to be separated from me. So – she's been sitting in on my classes all day, and she hasn't raised a distraction or done anything bad, I promise!"  
  
"I will not tolerate pets in my classroom," Snape said firmly.  
  
"Please?" Silver begged, "She needs me."  
  
"I will allow her to sit outside the door," Snape replied.  
  
"While it's open?" Silver asked hopefully.  
  
"Closed," Snape said.  
  
"I really don't think that's a good idea," Silver ventured.  
  
"Miss Riddle!" he said cuttingly.  
  
Silver jumped at being addressed so sharply and led Charisma to the door.  
  
"Sit," she told her, "Stay."  
  
Charisma obediently sat down and stared into Silver's eyes, which were beginning to water dangerously. Silver began to close the door, and Charisma became alarmed. She let out a small squeak as the door closed, and then there was silence for a total of three seconds. It then sounded as if a siren was going off outside the classroom. Charisma wailed at the top of her lungs, and seemed to be flinging herself at the door.  
  
"What is this?" Snape demanded above the racket.  
  
"She doesn't like being separated from me!" Silver yelled back, her fingers on the doorknob.  
  
"Open the door!" Snape answered.  
  
Silver flung open the door and Charisma jumped into her arms and silenced at once. Silver turned to Snape, awaiting his verdict anxiously. Snape eyed first Silver, and then Charisma.  
  
"If it makes _one_ noise," he said threateningly, "I never want to see or hear it within ten feet of my classroom again."  
  
Silver nodded solemnly and released a very quiet Charisma under her desk. The class began their work quickly, knowing that Snape would make no time allowances for distractions at the beginning of class. Charisma was very obedient the entire time, not making a single peep, or even moving other than into a laying down position. However, Snape did not seem to approve of the fact that Charisma accompanied Silver when she brought her finished potion up to his desk.  
  
"It can't stay under the desk?" he asked pointedly.  
  
Silver looked down at Charisma and then back up at Snape. "She could if you really wanted her to, but she likes to come with me – she protects me."  
  
Snape simply sighed and held his hand out for her potion. Silver beamed at him as she handed it over, and he glared in return. Harry couldn't help but grin knowing that it must be hard for Snape to keep a straight face.  
  
After class, Harry barely had time to finish his homework before Occlumency – he was ten minutes late, as it was. When he arrived, panting, in Dumbledore's office, Dumbledore seemed amused.  
  
"Please, Harry, take a seat," he offered cordially.  
  
Harry sat down and regained his breath. After that, Dumbledore put him through one of the most rigorous sessions he had ever been through. If he had thought that he would ever get used to seeing the memory of Sirius' death, he was wrong. He could block it fairly well, but it drained him emotionally, and, in turn, physically. He ended up sitting in the fluffy armchair once more, gasping for breath and trying to hold back the horrible lump in his throat. The fact that everything in the room was annoyingly blurry and he had regained his headache from that morning didn't help much.  
  
"You are doing very well, Harry," Dumbledore assured him, "You face it with courage and skill every time, and you will soon master it."  
  
"Master it?" Harry croaked, "I'm nowhere close to mastering it. I can hardly breathe."  
  
"Ah, but Harry, the fact is, you can. You haven't passed out or screamed in a long time now," Dumbledore reminded him, "You are only getting better."  
  
"I hate seeing it," Harry gasped, "I don't want to see it."  
  
"I know, Harry," Dumbledore said kindly, "and I am very, very proud of you for not running away. You are facing this with a courage that many grown men do not have."  
  
Dumbledore's words made Harry feel only slightly better.  
  
"I believe I will see if Snape has any more of that lovely purple potion," Dumbledore announced, walking to the fireplace.  
  
Harry hoped he did. He closed his eyes and gasped for breath as Dumbledore conversed with Snape through the fire, but when he opened his eyes it was no easier to either breathe or see.  
  
"They are on their way," Dumbledore announced as he withdrew from the fire, "Apparently young Miss Riddle is having much the same problem as you right now, so Severus has a very handy supply of the potion."  
  
"The same problem as me?" Harry echoed in disbelief, "It took me a year to get this far, and now she's at the same level? She just started!"  
  
"Well, Harry, there are a few things you must take into account," Dumbledore said, "Firstly, you started out with Professor Snape as your Occlumency mentor. You learned close to nothing about blocking the attacks during that entire time. Secondly, Miss Riddle is an extremely strong- willed individual. I have never seen anything close to determination like hers, when she sets her mind to something, and she has set her mind to helping you."  
  
"I'm strong-willed," Harry protested.  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "That you are, Harry, that you are. It has nothing to do with Miss Riddle being better at Occlumency than you, Harry, it has to do with Miss Riddle being more determined than you to master Occlumency."  
  
Harry thought about it for a moment. "Why does she want to learn Occlumency so badly?" he asked finally.  
  
"I would think that would be obvious," Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling, "She is doing it merely to be of assistance to you."  
  
Harry felt himself smiling, despite the situation. Dumbledore was right. Silver was willing to look back at her past, as horrible as it may be, and overcome it just so that Harry could use her as his practice dummy. If that wasn't love, what was? He heard her voice coming up the stairs and wished that he felt better so that he could sweep her off her feet the moment she entered and kiss her. But at the moment, he couldn't. Snape entered and presented him with the purple potion that he had grown to appreciate greatly, and after drinking it he became much more perceptive to what was going on around him, and very thankful that his headache had disappeared.  
  
"So, Miss Riddle, we were just discussing the subject of your Occlumency," Dumbledore announced.  
  
Silver looked surprised, but nodded her head for Dumbledore to continue.  
  
"Would you mind demonstrating for me the level you are at?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"You mean use Occlumency against you?" Silver asked.  
  
"Yes, please," Dumbledore replied.  
  
"Albus," Snape cut in, "She's just finished with a very hard session."  
  
"I will take that into account," Dumbledore assured him, "But I believe the decision is up to Miss Riddle."  
  
Silver looked up at Snape, her eyes wide. "Do you think I can do it?" she asked.  
  
"You can do anything you set your mind to," Snape answered. Charisma squeaked her agreement, and Silver smiled at the small creature.  
  
That seemed to settle it. Silver nodded to Dumbledore.  
  
The two stood up and walked to the empty space where Harry and Dumbledore had been practicing minutes before. Harry twisted around in his seat to watch, as did Snape.  
  
"On the count of three?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Yes, please," Silver replied.  
  
Dumbledore gave a small bow and began. "One."  
  
Silver straightened and raised her head high, looking right at Dumbledore.  
  
"Two."  
  
She raised her wand slightly in front of her.  
  
"Three. _Legilimens_!"  
  
Silver staggered backwards a few steps as if hit by some invisible force.  
  
"Mom, no!" she cried, raising her arms in front of her as if to block some invisible attack.  
  
Snape rose quickly, and Charisma bounded a few steps towards her.  
  
Silver raised a trembling arm towards Dumbledore.  
  
"_Protego_," she whispered. Her wand sparked weakly, and she collapsed.  
  
Harry jumped up as she hit the floor, and rushed over to her. Snape moved her into a sitting position, and her eyes fluttered open. At first, she looked vulnerable, but her eyes suddenly sparked.  
  
"Why did I do that?" she demanded angrily.  
  
"That was actually very good, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore informed her.  
  
She didn't look convinced. "Can we try again?" she asked.  
  
"No," Snape answered.  
  
"Certainly," Dumbledore replied at the same time.  
  
"She's had enough for tonight," Snape snarled at Dumbledore, seeming to completely forget that he was the headmaster.  
  
"Very well, Severus," Dumbledore said.  
  
"No I haven't!" Silver protested, "I can't end like that!"  
  
"You've had enough for tonight," Snape replied, "You can practice with Dumbledore again on Wednesday."  
  
Charisma squealed for attention, and Silver looked at her.  
  
"Not you, too!" she exclaimed, "I want to try again!"  
  
"No," Snape answered, and Charisma seemed to echo him.  
  
Silver scowled and looked at Harry. "I suppose you think I should quit, too?" she asked.  
  
Harry grinned. "I think you should do whatever you want to do, darling," he supplied helpfully, "But if it were completely up to me, I would hold out until Wednesday."  
  
Despite her determination, she smiled. "Alright then," she agreed.  
  
Dumbledore was watching them with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. Snape didn't look amused in the least.  
  
"Well, you two may be dismissed for the night," Dumbledore informed them, "Very good job to both of you, and goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight," Silver replied. She hugged Snape and headed for the door with Harry and Charisma close behind her.  
  
Once they got past the gargoyle, she gave a long sigh. Harry put his arm around her, and she leaned into him as they made their way back to Gryffindor tower.  
  
"I am so tired," she murmured, "I just want to get into bed and sleep until next Tuesday."  
  
Harry laughed as they climbed through the portrait hole to an almost empty common room. Ron and Hermione were sitting on one of the couches, smiling at each other, and didn't even notice them.  
  
"And miss the look on Professor McGonagall's face when she sees that you want to take a hippogriff into her classroom? I think not?" he replied as he looked back at her.  
  
Silver laughed, but stopped as she stifled a yawn.  
  
"Night, Harry," she said, hugging him.  
  
"Sweet dreams," he replied.  
  
She kissed him on the cheek and trudged up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. She seemed so tired that Harry wasn't sure if she would make it, so she watched her until she and Charisma were safely in and the door was closed. Then he headed for his own bed, being very tired himself.  
  
He walked in and collapsed onto his bed, too tired to change. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was sound asleep. His last thought before he fell asleep was that he sincerely hoped he was headache-free the next morning.


	30. Silver's Memories

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 30 – Silver's Memories**  
  
The rest of the week passed by in a kind of blur for Harry. Quidditch was intense; the long-awaited Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match was coming up in just a couple of weeks. It was the match that would decide who won the cup, since Slytherin and Gryffindor were currently both undefeated. Harry couldn't wait for a chance to wipe Malfoy's nose in the dirt, and Silver was dying for a chance to beat a Bludger at him. She had been practicing her aim lately and had been getting pretty good. On Saturday both he and Silver had to practice an extra three hours of Occlumency; for on Monday, Harry would be attempting to break into Silver's mind.  
  
It was Sunday night, and he and Silver were walking back from some last- minute Potions homework in the library.  
  
"So, are you ready for Occlumency tomorrow?" Harry asked.  
  
"I think so," she replied, "I trust you with my memories."  
  
He smiled at her. "That means a lot to me," he replied.  
  
"Just catch me if I fall," she said, half teasing and half serious.  
  
"You bet," he replied, snaking an arm around her waist.  
  
They stopped outside the portrait, and Silver slid her arms around his neck playfully. Grinning, he bent down to kiss her. When he drew away, however, she looked fearful.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, his brow furrowed with worry.  
  
"Kiss me again," she replied quietly.  
  
He obeyed her with no protest, but he was still worried. When he pulled away, she stood on her tiptoes and got one more kiss out of him before drawing back. He held her for a moment, looking down at her questioningly.  
  
"I'm a bit scared about tomorrow, I guess," she admitted.  
  
"I won't do anything you don't want me to," he told her.  
  
She smiled. "I know, I just..." she trailed off uncertainly, and he decided the best thing to do would be to go inside and forget about it.  
  
He turned to the Fat Lady, who immediately pretended she hadn't been watching the whole thing.  
  
"Snow day," he said, and she sprung open. Charisma bounded ahead of them, and then Silver. When Harry climbed through, Silver was standing with her hand clapped over her mouth, staring at the couch. Harry's eyes widened when he looked. Ron and Hermione were snogging passionately, completely unaware that anybody else was in the room. He looked at Silver, who was smiling mischievously.  
  
"Get a room!" she exclaimed.  
  
Ron jumped off of Hermione and landed on the floor, and Hermione clapped her hands over her face, as if to hide herself. Harry chuckled, and Ron glared.  
  
"Don't look at us like that, Ron, you're in the common room, for heaven's sake," Silver reminded him cheerfully.  
  
"How long have you been there?" he demanded.  
  
"Long enough," she replied cryptically.  
  
Ron scowled at her. Hermione was blushing a shade of red that even Ron could not often match.  
  
"Oh my gosh," she said, "I didn't...I..."  
  
Silver giggled. "Need to brush your hair," she finished.  
  
Harry snorted. "Yeah, 'Mione, it's just a tad mussed," he chimed in.  
  
Hermione's hair was indeed much bushier than usual. Blushing, she dashed up the stairs to the girls' dorms. Ron, still scowling, walked to the boys'. Silver burst out laughing as she sat on the couch. Harry couldn't help but join in.  
  
"That was priceless," he sighed.  
  
Silver giggled. "Poor Hermione, she's not going to want to face you for days."  
  
"Me? You saw it, too!" Harry protested.  
  
"Well, yes, but I'm a girl, so that makes it okay," Silver answered.  
  
"Yeah, well Fred and George were boys, and that didn't make it okay when they walked in on us," Harry retorted.  
  
"It's different with girls," Silver answered.  
  
Harry sighed. _Yeah, more complicated_, he thought to himself. He looked over at her to find that she was looking at him rather coyly.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing," she said, blushing slightly.  
  
He grinned. "You wanna snog me," he said in a singsong voice.  
  
"I do not," Silver answered stubbornly, scooting away from him.  
  
"Do, too!" he argued.  
  
She gave him an evil glare. "You wish," she declared.  
  
"Yes, I do," he agreed, reaching for her.  
  
She scooted away. "Harry, this is the common room!" she protested.  
  
"So?" he said, "Nobody's in it right now."  
  
"And a lot of good that did Ron and Hermione," she answered smartly.  
  
"Who are both in their dorms too embarrassed to come out anytime soon," he reminded her.  
  
"And what about the rest of the Gryffindors?" she asked.  
  
"We'll hear them coming," he said.  
  
"Hmph," was her reply, "You didn't hear Fred and George after they banged the door open."  
  
It was his turn to blush. "Well if you look at it that way," he said, as if she were doing him an injustice.  
  
She gave him a smug look.  
  
"A kiss, then?" he asked.  
  
"A kiss," she agreed, scooting closer to him.  
  
Grinning evilly, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with passion. She returned the kiss in full, and then some, surprising him. _Well, I suppose it'll be easier than I thought, then_, he thought as she attempted to draw back, and failed. He pressed his lips over hers again, and she only protested for a few seconds before falling into the kiss. She tried to pull away, and he let her pull him with her down on the couch, kissing her all the way.  
  
"Harry," she hissed, "_Anybody_ could walk in!"  
  
"So we'd better make the most of the time we have alone," he replied, kissing her once more.  
  
She pushed against him as hard as she could, but he refused to budge. He felt her hesitate for a moment, and then she began to return his kisses. One of her hands busied itself in his hair, while the other attempted to pull him closer. Suddenly she pulled away. He frowned. She had been enjoying it as much as he had, he was sure of it – she couldn't possibly want to stop. She turned to Charisma, who was watching them interestedly.  
  
"Charisma, let us know if someone comes," she breathed.  
  
Charisma obediently hopped over to the portrait hole. Harry turned back to her, grinning broadly.  
  
"I knew you wanted to snog me," he said smugly.  
  
"Hush up," she replied, pulling him down to her once more.  
  
Harry's hand that was around her waist began to wander as they kissed. It found the hem of her shirt, and began to creep underneath, but no sooner had his fingers touched her stomach than she gave a sharp pull on his hair. He pulled away briefly and chuckled as she gave him a warning look.  
  
"Sorry," he whispered as he kissed her.  
  
Apparently she accepted his apology, for the word was hardly out of his mouth before she was kissing him again. Harry heard a squeal somewhere in the distance, but dismissed it. It couldn't mean anything. Silver seemed not to hear it at all, for nothing changed whatsoever, in fact, she was still attempting to draw him closer – not that it was possible. Suddenly she drew back.  
  
"Did you hear something?" she asked.  
  
"Nope," he lied, leaning in closer.  
  
The next second a sharp pain shot through his ear.  
  
"Ah!" he exclaimed, jumping away.  
  
Silver suddenly straightened up as they heard voices coming through the portrait hole. She ran her fingers through her hair nervously, and Harry just grinned at her. Seamus and Dean came walking in, and they paused when they saw Harry and Silver, who were sitting on opposite ends of the couch and attempting to look innocent.  
  
"Tut, tut," Dean said, "Snogging in the common room."  
  
"How would you know?" Harry replied smoothly.  
  
"Button your shirt," Dean replied smugly.  
  
"And comb your hair," Seamus added.  
  
Then, sniggering, the two boys ran to the boys' dorms. Harry looked down to find that the top three buttons of his shirt were undone. He had absolutely no idea when that had happened.  
  
"How'd you manage that?" he asked her as he buttoned his shirt.  
  
She blushed furiously, causing him to grin.  
  
"What, I'd just like to know," he replied, "Got an extra hand or something, hmm?"  
  
"Very funny," she answered dryly.  
  
He went over and gathered her in his arms.  
  
"Harry," she protested, trying to push him away.  
  
"No, wait," he said gently, pressing his forehead against hers.  
  
She stopped struggling and looked into his eyes.  
  
"Pretend they never came," he told her, and upon seeing her look, "I promise I won't start snogging you again."  
  
She relaxed in his arms, and he smiled at her, his face inches from hers.  
  
"I love you," he told her.  
  
She smiled and hugged him. "Oh, Harry," she sighed.  
  
He waited, and finally, it came. "I love you, too."  
  
She said it slowly, but firmly. He kissed her gently, with no greed or hurry, and she returned it.  
  
"I'm going to bed now," she said as they parted, although he still pressed his forehead against hers.  
  
"Sweet dreams, gorgeous," he replied.  
  
She smiled. "Sweet dreams, Harry," she answered.  
  
He kissed her once more and then watched her walk to the girls' dorms, feeling as if he could burst with happiness. Telling her that he loved her and hearing her reply was better than snogging any day, he decided. He headed for the boys dorms with a smile on his face. Once inside, he was bombarded with questions; apparently Seamus and Dean had spread the word about Harry and Silver. Ron was particularly smug.  
  
"You just wanted the couch to yourself," he accused.  
  
"Guilty," Harry agreed pleasantly as he went to bed.  
  
Ron laughed. "Sneaky," he accused.  
  
Harry didn't answer. He fell asleep and for once had pleasant dreams – all of them, of course, about Silver.

---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next morning at breakfast, everybody seemed to know that Harry and Silver had been caught making out in the Gryffindor common room. As a result, nearly every boy who passed was giving Harry pats on the back for no particular reason, and many of the girls were shooting Silver envious looks. Harry only had to take one look at Snape to know that Potions was not going to be a fun class that day.  
  
"Uh, I think Snape knows," he informed Silver.  
  
Silver glanced up in the direction of the staff table and smiled.  
  
"I think he does," she agreed, "I'll go visit him at lunch and smooth things over."  
  
"Good," Harry replied, "Because I'm still aiming to get an O in his class one of these days."  
  
Silver laughed. "Good luck, sweetheart," she replied.  
  
He grinned as if he had just won the Nobel Prize. He loved it when she called him 'honey', 'sweetie', 'sweetheart', or anything similar. It gave him an inexplicable happy feeling. Charisma rubbed up against his leg, and he passed her some bacon. He suddenly realized that she was rubbing just below his knee. He looked under the table in alarm.  
  
"Is she getting bigger?" he asked Silver.  
  
"Yes, she's supposed to have a 'growth spurt' around now," Silver replied.  
  
"I'll say!" Harry exclaimed, "That happened overnight!"  
  
Silver reached down and petted Charisma fondly. Harry frowned. He didn't want to think of the day when Charisma would be too big to join them in the Hogwarts castle. Both Silver and Charisma would be devastated.  
  
The rest of the day passed smoothly, until the lunch bell rang. Harry walked with Ron and Hermione to class, hoping that Snape wasn't going to skin him alive. He walked into the room half expecting Snape to begin using every hex he had ever heard of, but instead he found that Silver was sitting peacefully at her desk, already beginning the potion on the board. Snape looked up at him with his usual bored hatred, but nothing more. Harry grinned as he sat down next to Silver.  
  
"I take it he forgives me," he said.  
  
"Not nearly," she replied, "But I made him promise to be civil to you because you need your focus for Occlumency tonight."  
  
Harry snorted, earning himself a reproachful glance from Snape. "What does he care if I have Occlumency tonight?" he asked.  
  
Silver looked up at him, her eyes bright with something akin to anger. He drew back slightly.  
  
"Of course he cares, Harry. You're not his favorite person in the world, but he doesn't want you to be putty in Voldemort's fingers!" she hissed.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized quickly.  
  
She just sighed and shook her head. "You're just as bad as he is, sometimes," she complained.  
  
He cringed under her disapproval and got to work on his potion. Snape gave him an A, although he was sure he had earned at least an E, if not an O. He supposed it was just Snape's way of letting him know that he wasn't forgiven. When the bell finally rang, he nearly vaulted out of his seat and out of the classroom, followed closely by Ron, where they awaited the girls. Hermione came out in a few seconds.  
  
"Silver wants us to wait for her a minute," she informed them.  
  
Harry and Ron rolled their eyes, but waited nevertheless. In a couple of minutes Silver came out, and smiled at the looks on Harry and Ron's faces.  
  
"Oh, really, you two, stop it," she said.  
  
"Why are you so smiley?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
"He said he would come to watch me play on Saturday," Silver replied, referring to the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Quidditch match that was coming soon.  
  
"Well, yeah, he always goes to the Slytherin games," Ron replied.  
  
"But he said he would watch me play," Silver insisted, "Which means that he's not just coming for Slytherin."  
  
Ron snorted. "You think that," he told her, only to earn himself a reproving glare.  
  
Harry found it hard to concentrate on his homework, seeing as his mind was already on his Occlumency lesson. Silver seemed so nervous, and yet so calm about it all. She would talk about it smoothly, as if it were no big deal, and the next moment she would be in his arms, her eyes big and teary, telling him that she was nervous about it. It was half annoying, half amusing.  
  
Finally, it was time for them to go to Dumbledore's office. He noticed that Silver was biting her lip nervously, but she didn't say anything.  
  
"Lemon drop," they said in unison as they reached the gargoyle.  
  
It sprang open, and they exchanged as smile as they entered.  
  
"You gonna be okay?" Harry asked as they walked up the stairway.  
  
"Yes," she replied confidently.  
  
He saw a determined spark in her eyes, and knew that she was speaking the truth. They entered Dumbledore's office to find Dumbledore and Snape waiting there.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Potter, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore greeted, "You're right on time."  
  
Silver smiled nervously, and Harry grinned. He knew that Dumbledore had meant it as a compliment, at least to him.  
  
"Now, Harry, I need to explain to you what you are about to do," Dumbledore said, "Miss Riddle, since you already know, you may do whatever you desire in the meantime."  
  
Silver beamed and bounced over to Snape, Charisma at her heels. Harry watched as she began to converse quietly with him, but turned his attention back to Dumbledore quickly.  
  
"Harry, you are about to perform the Legilimens curse," Dumbledore provided, "You will find yourself watching from the sidelines as some of the most...memorable...moments in Miss Riddle's life pass by."  
  
Harry was about to protest that only the worst moments showed, when he remembered that Snape had nearly seen him kiss Cho during one practice. At the time, he hadn't considered it a bad memory, although now he didn't think much of it. Kissing Silver was a million times better. He realized that Dumbledore was still talking, and hurriedly paid attention.  
  
"- just remember that you can pull away from the memory whenever you wish, all you have to do is think about stepping away," Dumbledore finished.  
  
Harry nodded solemnly as if he had been listening the whole time.  
  
"Good then," Dumbledore said, "I assume you are ready?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Miss Riddle," Dumbledore called, "Are you ready?"  
  
"Yes," Silver replied, without hesitating.  
  
She stood up and walked, with Harry, to the center of the room. For a moment they just stared at each other, and then Harry spoke.  
  
"Um, count of three?" he asked.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"One," Harry began, his mouth feeling dry as he looked at her.  
  
"Two," he continued, watching as she straightened up and gripped her wand more tightly.  
  
"Three," he paused and took a deep breath before performing the spell. "_Legilimens_!"  
  
He was suddenly sucked into a bare, wooden room. A small, beautiful young girl about eight years old was sitting in a corner, seemingly waiting for something. Suddenly the door banged open, and she flinched and curled up instinctively. "You worthless little-"somebody began. The girl cringed with every word, and then Harry was transported to another memory.  
  
The same little girl, maybe a year or so older, was crying. "I didn't do it," she sobbed, "Mommy, please, _please_." A woman stepped into view, but Harry couldn't see her face. "_Crucio_," was her cold reply. The small girl's face contorted with pain.  
  
Harry was then taken to yet another memory. The Silver that he knew now was smiling as she faced Dumbledore in a duel, for what Harry supposed was schoolwork. Her eyes sparkled with glee as she dodged a spell he threw at her. "Can't hit me!" she laughed happily. Dumbledore chuckled.  
  
Harry was then ripped from the scene in front of him to face another. The same Silver that he knew...his Silver...was sobbing uncontrollably, while a rather scared-looking Snape watched. "Silver," Snape said quietly, "I know." She looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks. "What do you mean?" she whispered. "I _know_," Snape replied. Silver began crying again, and threw herself at him. "What is w...w...wrong with me?" she sobbed, "W...Why didn't s...she...l...l...love...me?" Snape put his hands on his shoulders and held her at arm's length. "Silver," he said quietly, but suddenly Harry flew backwards.  
  
He hit the floor hard, and yelped in pain as he did so.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Harry!" Silver exclaimed as he sat up, "I didn't mean to do that!"  
  
"S'okay," he murmured. Her face came into focus, and he thought of the small girl in the first two memories.  
  
He reached out his arms and pulled her down to him, hugging her for all he was worth. She hugged him back. Finally, he drew back and looked her straight in the eye. She was so brave, to willingly let him see those memories...memories that must hurt her.  
  
"You," he said, with conviction, "Are amazing."  
  
She giggled. "Thank you," she replied.  
  
He shook his head, feeling a bit dazed as he got up.  
  
"Would you like a break?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Yes, please," Silver replied.  
  
Harry had been about to reply with a "no", and was glad he didn't – he hadn't even considered how Silver must feel.  
  
"So," he said, "You dueled with Dumbledore."  
  
Dumbledore and Silver smiled.  
  
"She is excellent at dueling," Dumbledore said, "In fact, I believe she could give you a run for your money."  
  
Silver blushed at his praise and grinned mischievously at Harry.  
  
"So why was that moment memorable?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, I love to duel," Silver replied, "And that was the first time I 'beat' Dumbledore."  
  
Harry snorted, and she gave him a patronizing look. "Of course, he was restricted to the powers of a very advanced seventh year."  
  
"Oh," Harry said, and then, "Wait – seventh?"  
  
She smiled smugly. "Yes, seventh," she replied.  
  
He wiggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh.  
  
"Ready for another go?" Dumbledore asked them.  
  
They nodded.  
  
"Silver, this time I want you to repel Harry, like you did that last time around," Dumbledore said.  
  
"But that was an accident," Silver protested.  
  
"Make it purposeful," Dumbledore replied intelligently.  
  
Harry was a bit more on guard this time – if Silver could duel as well as an advanced seventh year, he had better be.  
  
"One," he said.  
  
She smiled at him, and he stammered over the next word as a result.  
  
"T...Two..."  
  
This only caused her to smile more, which made him feel a good deal more vulnerable.  
  
"Th...Three. _Legilimens_!"  
  
He was suddenly in a cold, dark cave, where many Death Eaters surrounded a throne on which sat Voldemort. For a moment, Harry thought he was having a vision, but then Voldemort spoke. "Bring her to me." A masked Death Eater pushed a fighting Silver forwards. Voldemort reached out and took a hold of her wrist. "Come here, flower," he said enticingly. Silver spat at him, causing him to laugh. "You would do well not to enrage your master," he advised. Harry suddenly felt himself being pushed backwards again.  
  
"Ouch! _Stupefy_!" he yelled, pointing his wand where he knew Silver was.  
  
"_Protego_," she replied coolly.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes as his memories began to take over the both of them. He didn't feel like seeing them at the moment.  
  
"_Expelliarmus_!" he cried, pointing his wand somewhere ahead of him.  
  
The visions broke, and he saw that he had aimed badly to the left, and Silver had kept her wand.  
  
"_Petrificus Totalus_," Silver replied, flourishing her wand in his direction.  
  
He groaned as his arms snapped to his sides and he fell to the floor. He would have winced if he could have, but he couldn't move his face muscles.  
  
"Sorry," she apologized, performing the countercurse.  
  
"Yeah," he replied, rubbing his shoulder where he had fallen and glaring at her.  
  
"Well, you tried to stun me," she reminded him.  
  
"And failed," he answered amusedly, "You are good at dueling."  
  
She blushed at the compliment.  
  
"Well, children, I believe you've had enough for one night?" Dumbledore asked politely.  
  
Silver nodded, suddenly looking tired. She walked over to Snape and practically collapsed beside him.  
  
"I saw the vision of Voldemort," she said quietly, leaning against him.  
  
"You handled it well," he replied.  
  
"I'm scared," she answered, sounding perfectly calm.  
  
"No need to be," Snape replied, "Now off to bed."  
  
"No, no, Severus," Dumbledore said brightly, "We have time for ice cream!"  
  
Snape looked as if he would rather go and visit with Voldemort.  
  
"Right," he said, sounding resigned.  
  
Silver giggled. "Just what we need before bed – sugar," she teased.  
  
Dumbledore winked at her as he rang the bell.  
  
"Potter," Snape said suddenly, "Would you have a word with me on the staircase, please?"  
  
Harry was not shocked not only that Snape wanted a word with him, but that he had said please. He nodded dumbly and followed Snape to the door. Snape shut it behind them as they left, and walked halfway down the staircase before turning to face Harry.  
  
"You will not discuss her memories with her tonight," Snape told him.  
  
"Oh really?" Harry asked indignantly. Who was Snape to tell him what he would discuss with his girlfriend.  
  
"Listen up," Snape replied, sounding highly annoyed, "She will have nightmares. Her nightmares very intense, and can result in her passing out for quite some time. Dumbledore is taking her mind off of the matter very well by having ice cream, and you will not ruin that."  
  
Harry was surprised. "She has nightmares?" he said finally.  
  
"She would prefer if you didn't know," Snape replied, "But I see fit to tell you."  
  
Harry nodded dumbly. "Well, um, thanks," he said.  
  
Snape surveyed him piercingly.  
  
"Do you love her?" he asked finally. His voice was cutting, and Harry suspected that anything less than a truthful yes would result in death.  
  
"Yes," he replied honestly.  
  
Snape made a sudden movement with his arm, and Harry was not sure why.  
  
"Don't hurt her, Potter," he said, "If you do..."  
  
He didn't finish, but Harry could imagine Snape coming after him in his sleep.  
  
"I won't," he replied.  
  
"Good," Snape growled, in an attempt to be menacing.  
  
It didn't work. Harry knew that Snape was trying to protect Silver, and the thought made Snape much less intimidating. Snape shook his head and headed up to Dumbledore's office, as if he had never wanted to talk to Harry in the first place.  
  
Harry grinned and headed back up after him. When he walked in, Silver looked at him questioningly.  
  
He winked, and all through his bowl of ice cream thought of the ways he would use to 'distract' her from thinking about her memories. As a result, he couldn't stop grinning the entire time. When they had finally finished their ice cream and he and Silver were headed for the door, he grinned like a madman.  
  
_Distraction Plan A_, he thought evilly as he slid his arm around her.


	31. The Party

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**---------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 31 – The Party**  
  
Harry awoke with an excited feeling in the pit of his stomach. He jumped out of bed and hit Ron firmly on the head with his pillow.  
  
"Geroff," Ron muttered.  
  
"Fine, but you'll miss the game against Slytherin," Harry replied as he pulled on his clothes.  
  
Ron's eyes sprung open and he sat up. "The game's today!" he yelled.  
  
"I'm going to shove the Snitch in Malfoy's face," Harry declared.  
  
Ron sniggered. "As long as Silver doesn't knock him out with a Bludger first," he answered.  
  
Harry waited for Ron to get dressed, which was surprisingly fast for Ron, and the two went downstairs. Silver and Hermione were already down there, as was most of the Quidditch team. Harry grinned as they all stopped their conversation to look up at him.  
  
"Today's the day we're going to wipe the ground with those Slytherin slimeballs!" he exclaimed.  
  
The whole room seemed to burst into applause. Harry grinned as he sat down beside Silver. She was smiling.  
  
"Ugh, I can't wait to wipe that nasty smile off of Malfoy's face," she declared, "I'm going to hit him so hard he won't remember his own name!"  
  
This was met by more applause and a kiss from Harry. The entire Quidditch team plus Hermione and Charisma made their way down to the Great Hall in a general uproar. Breakfast was hurried, nobody ate much of anything. Harry glanced down and noticed that Charisma was beginning to get cramped under the table.  
  
"Uh, Silver," he said, "Do you think Charisma's getting a little...big?"  
  
"Yes," Silver replied proudly, petting her, "She grows about two to four inches a night."  
  
Harry nearly spit his breakfast out. "Two to four inches a night?" he echoed.  
  
She nodded. Harry decided that right before the Quidditch match was not the time to bring up the fact that Charisma would soon not be allowed in the castle any more, so he was silent. He soon forgot about Charisma as they headed out onto the Quidditch field. They headed into the locker rooms to change into their Quidditch robes and grab their brooms. Harry's Firebolt was trembling as he reached for it – it seemed to know what was coming. The team then gathered for Harry's pep talk, which, he realized, he had not even thought of until then.  
  
"Well," he said, "This game decides who gets the cup. It's gonna be us."  
  
The team roared their approval and mounted their brooms. Madam Hooch and the Slytherin team were already in their positions on the field. Harry tried listened as a seventh year by the name of Devin Carver introduced the team, but his mind was already focused on the game. Both Gryffindor and Slytherin were undefeated, meaning that this match would either win or lose them the cup. He knew that they could win, but he had a nervous feeling in his stomach all the same.  
  
At the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle, fourteen brooms soared into the air. He flew high over the game, searching for a hint of gold, and saw that Malfoy was following him closely. Grinning, he flew downwards, and Malfoy, thinking that he had seen something, tailed him. Harry flew in front of Silver, who took the opportunity to knock not one, but three Bludgers in succession at Malfoy, causing him to lose his balance and yelp as he struggled to stay on his broom. Chuckling, Harry rose up high once more to search for the elusive Snitch.  
  
"Spinnet passes to Johnson," Carver's voice yelled, "Who shoots and...SCORES! That's ten-zero, in favor of Gryffindor!"

Harry began to get restless as he soared over the field. He hadn't seen so much as a glimmer of gold the entire time. Malfoy was now on the other end of the field, and Harry was beginning to get uneasy. If the Snitch was there, then Malfoy would catch it, and Slytherin would win. He listened for Carver's voice, telling them the current score.  
  
"-and SCORES!"  
  
_Who scored?_ Harry wondered.  
  
"That leaves us with a tie of fourty-fourty!"  
  
The scores began to rise, Gryffindor always keeping a ten-point lead, with no sightings of the Snitch that Harry knew of. He flew around, eyes searching the ground, but saw nothing.  
  
Harry suddenly saw Malfoy shoot off in the other direction. He had to do something, and fast. It only took a moment for him to decide what to do. He dived towards the ground as fast as he could, and, to his surprise and pleasure, it worked.  
  
"Potter's seen the Snitch!" Carver roared, "Potter's seen the Snitch!"  
  
He spotted a perfect white flower growing on the ground just below him, and aimed for it. He stretched out his hand, and heard the gasps of the people in the stands, thinking he was a few seconds away from catching the snitch. He swooped down and plucked the flower without a decrease in speed, and raised the flower into the air, looking in Malfoy's direction. Malfoy was still flying towards something at a terribly fast speed...Harry could only hope that he wasn't close enough to catch it.  
  
"POTTER'S GOT THE SNITCH!" Carver yelled, "GRYFFINDOR W-".  
  
Malfoy spun his broom around, looking confused.  
  
"Wait!" Carver said suddenly, sounding confused, "Potter hasn't got the Snitch – but he's got...a flower?"  
  
Suddenly Carver burst into laughter. "Potter's got a flower! It was a diversion! He distracted Malfoy from catching the Sn...Snitch!"  
  
By the end of his sentence, Carver was laughing so hard he could hardly finish it. Malfoy looked angrier than Harry had ever seen him, and was calling a time-out to talk to Madam Hooch, with the rest of the Slytherin team supporting him. Harry looked at the flower in his hand – it was a perfect white lily. He knew just what to do with it.  
  
Ron flew up to him, laughing his head off. "That was bloody brilliant, Harry!" Ron gasped between bursts of laughter, "Bloody brilliant!"  
  
"Madam Hooch has decided that there is nothing in the rules saying that players can't use a flower as a diversion tactic, so the game will continue!" Carver announced.  
  
Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and the game burst into action once more. The Gryffindors all congratulated Harry, while the Slytherins shot him dirty looks and muttered obscenities under their breaths. Harry flew up to Silver, who looked at him with surprise.  
  
"Harry," she said, smiling, "That was so-"  
  
She stopped mid-sentence as Harry held the lily out towards her. A smile spread over her face, and her heart began to beat faster as it hovered next to her right ear. _Wait_, Harry thought, _Her heart doesn't belong next to her ear – that's the Snitch!_ Sure enough, the small golden Snitch was hovering right next to Silver's head. It was staying still longer than Harry had ever seen it do so before. As she took the flower from him, he reached out slowly and closed his hand over the Snitch. Not realizing what had just happened, she looked up at him, her eyes still bright with gratitude from the flower. He raised his Snitch-laden hand into the air as he leaned forward and kissed her, and he vaguely heard Carver's words.  
  
"POTTER'S GOT THE KISS! I MEAN, POTTER'S GOT THE SNITCH! POTTER'S GOT A KISS _AND_ A SNITCH!"  
  
He heard the silence of the crowd as they all turned to see if Carver was correct. He drew away from Silver, grinning, and showed her the golden Snitch, which was beating it's wings uselessly against his hand. She beamed at him, and they both began to laugh just as the crowd burst into ear-deafening applause.  
  
Harry landed only to be pelted with hugs.  
  
"We've won the cup!" Ron was yelling, "We've won the cup!"  
  
Ron began randomly hugging every person he could reach, but Silver jumped away from him.  
  
"Stop it, you'll crush my flower!" she chided.  
  
Harry grinned as he fought his way past the ecstatic crowd towards Silver.  
  
"It's just a flower," Ron was saying.  
  
"It is not!" she protested, "Harry gave it to me!"  
  
"Yeah, Ron," Harry chimed in as he reached them, tucking an arm around Silver.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Ron turned around and walked off in another direction. Harry looked down at Silver, whose eyes were dancing happily as they looked up into his.  
  
"You were brilliant, Harry," she told him.  
  
"I wouldn't have gotten the Snitch if it weren't for you," he replied, smiling.  
  
"Sure you would have," she replied confidently, "Just not as fast."  
  
Smiling, he placed a kiss on top of her head. She smiled up at him, but that was the end of any time they had alone, for some very rowdy Gryffindors, including Ron, Seamus, and Dean, were literally pushing them towards the castle. They were soon being escorted into the castle, and towards the common room. Halfway there, Silver stopped. Harry doubled back to meet her.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Um, Harry, I know we're probably going to have a party and everything, but I'm going to be a little late, okay?" she asked.  
  
Harry saw that she was looking in the direction of the dungeons. _Snape_, he thought bitterly. He was about to protest, when he caught sight of her silver locket hanging around her neck. He thought about the memories that he had seen of her home life, none of which were pleasant in the least. And, as much as he hated to admit it, she probably needed to see Snape, who was sadly the closest thing she had ever had to a parent. _Stupid git_, Harry thought idly, _Why did she have to go and pick a fun-sucking leech like him?  
_  
"Harry?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
"Oh, sorry," he said, "Yeah, sure, go ahead."  
  
"Thanks," she said softly, "I know you don't like him, Harry, but..."  
  
"I know," he cut off, "I'll see you when you get back."  
  
She smiled her thanks and set off towards the dungeons. He watched as she broke into a run going around the corner. He sighed and shook his head. He then headed towards the common room. When he arrived, he was hauled in, and nearly yelped when he saw what was in front of him.  
  
"Heya, Harry," George greeted.  
  
"How are you tonight?" Fred furthered.  
  
"What are you two doing here?" Harry replied.  
  
"Nice to see you, too," George said sarcastically, "We're all waiting for you so we can go to the party."  
  
"Go?" Harry repeated dumbly.  
  
"Yep," Fred replied proudly, "Lee Jordan's having a party in your honor...well, okay, not in your honor, but we can pretend! We're taking a few of these other kids with us, but anyway, come on!"  
  
"Wait, I can't!" Harry protested as they pushed him out of the portrait hole, "I have to wait for Silver."  
  
"Well where is she?" Ron asked, as he, the Quidditch team, Hermione, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati filed out behind them.  
  
"She's with Snape, I think," Harry replied, "But she said she'd be back."  
  
Ron snorted. "If she wants to waste her time with that git, then let her, but come on."  
  
"Yeah," Dean echoed, "I've never been to a make-out party before!"  
  
Lavender and Parvati began to giggle.  
  
"A make-out party?" Harry asked, "Well why would I want to go, then?"  
  
"You don't actually have to snog, Harry," George said, "You can just hang out, drink butterbeer, that sort of thing."  
  
Harry couldn't help but notice the evil glint in his eye, however.  
  
"No, I don't want to go," he protested, but he was hauled bodily through the secret passageway to Hogsmeade.  
  
As they set off towards the Three Broomsticks (which Lee had apparently booked), Harry couldn't help but have a good time. Everyone was filling Fred and George in on his 'diversion', and he was beginning to feel a bit proud of himself. When they arrived, however, it was a different story. Everyone was in either in couples, or entering their names in "The Snog Bowls" – where random names were called out for two people to snog in a closet for five minutes.  
  
"Come on, Harry, want me to put your name in?" Fred prodded.  
  
"No," Harry replied, shooting him a dirty look, "I have a girlfriend, _remember_?"  
  
_And I hope she's not too mad at me for coming_, he added silently, _Not that I really had a choice..._  
  
He still felt guilty, though, without really knowing why. He was bored out of his mind as he sat at a table, stirring his butterbeer and wishing that he had forced everyone to wait for Silver. He missed the mischievous looks Fred and George were throwing in his direction. Ron and Hermione were too busy speaking mush to pay much attention to him, so he was left to his own thoughts. Suddenly, Fred came over and grabbed him by the arm.  
  
"Ouch, what're you-"Harry began, but Fred silenced him.  
  
"Okay," George was announcing, "Who will be the next lucky two to enter the closet?"  
  
Murmurs of excitement passed around the room. _Pathetic_, Harry thought, _Who would be so desperate that they would put their name in a bowl in hopes of...  
_  
"Harry Potter!" George suddenly cried, faking surprise.  
  
Harry was yanked out of his thoughts with shock. For a moment, he just stared dumbly at George, who grinned and stuck his hand in the girl's "Snog Bowl" and fished around.  
  
"_And..._" he said dramatically as he unfolded the piece of paper that he had extracted.  
  
Harry watched as his eyes widened, and then he looked up at Harry with a smile on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but then the smile faded, and it snapped shut.  
  
"Silver Riddle," he finished lamely.  
  
For a moment Harry was confused, but then he realized that George was staring guiltily at a something behind his back. He could only hope it wasn't the something he thought it was. He felt someone grab his robes and lead him towards the closet. He chanced a glance to the side, and his heart dropped to his toes. It was Silver. George caught up with them as Silver shoved him into the closet.  
  
"Um, well, you have five minutes," he was saying cheerfully.  
  
Silver turned to him, her eyes flashing with anger. "If _anybody_ opens this door I will hex them so badly they won't get out of the hospital wing for a week," she hissed.  
  
The entire Three Broomsticks seemed to be watching in silence as Silver shut the door, leaving her and Harry in darkness. Harry felt more nervous than he ever had in his life. Silver didn't say anything for what seemed like hours. The silence was tearing him up as he wondered how mad she really was. When she finally spoke, he wished for the silence once more.  
  
"How _could_ you, Harry?" she choked.  
  
He couldn't see her, but he could hear the hurt in her voice.  
  
"I didn't," he said quickly, "I didn't even-"  
  
"Oh, you didn't, did you?" she asked, her voice cutting.  
  
"No," he said, "They made me come, and I told them not to put my name in the bowl!"  
  
"You knew when you came that they would," she accused, "You know Fred and George!"  
  
He realized with a sinking feeling that she was right. He had known, somewhere in his subconscious, but was he actually going to go through with it? No, of course not. He could never hurt Silver like that.  
  
"But I wasn't going to actually go in the closet," he protested.  
  
"Oh yeah?" she asked angrily, "Can you prove it?"  
  
He felt as if she had slapped him. "Silver, I would never-"  
  
"Yes, you would," she replied, her voice rising with every word, "Because you came. You came when you knew they were going to do that! You just admitted it without even knowing it!"  
  
He didn't reply. "I didn't want to hurt you," he finally said.  
  
"OH, SO MAKING OUT WITH ANOTHER GIRL WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HURT ME?!" she exploded, "WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'D BETTER THANK FRED AND GEORGE FOR PUTTING YOUR NAME IN THAT BOWL, BECAUSE I WON'T BE KISSING YOU _EVER AGAIN_!"  
  
She flung open the closet door and began to leave. Harry's thoughts flew madly around his head. He leaped out after her and grabbed her wrist. She spun around and slapped him passionately.  
  
"DON'T YOU TOUCH ME, HARRY POTTER!" she spat, saying his name with disgust.  
  
Harry felt her wrist slip out of his fingers, and he watched, dumbfounded, as she ran out of the Three Broomsticks. Every eye in the room was on him, and he silently willed himself not to give in to the nausea in his stomach.  
  
"Mate?" Ron asked quietly, walking up slowly.  
  
Harry stared at the door where Silver had just left silently and unblinkingly. Ron took his arm and began to lead him towards it. Hermione came on his other side and put her hand on his shoulder. They walked out of the bar, Harry's head spinning the entire time. _She left me_, he finally realized as they made their way outside, _She left me_. He dashed out of Ron's grasp as his stomach gave a final sickening lurch. He vomited into a bush, unable to escape the reality of what had just happened. When he had stopped, Hermione magically appeared with a glass of water and some napkins. Harry used the water to rinse out his mouth, and the napkins to wipe it.  
  
"She hates me," he said finally, each word coming out slowly and painfully.  
  
"No, Harry," Hermione said gently, "She's just hurt right now, that's all. She'll realize that you were never going to do it, Harry, she will."  
  
"No," he croaked, "She...she really left."  
  
"No, mate," Ron said quietly, taking a hold of his arm.  
  
Harry allowed himself to be led back to the castle, ignoring Ron and Hermione's comforting words. He felt numb, and it wasn't until he walked into the common room that the pain hit him hard. He barely made it to his bed before he felt his knees give way. Hermione had followed them into the boys' dorms, and was still murmuring nonsense comfort to him. Finally, she and Ron were silent, and they sat on the edge of Harry's bed. Harry re- played the day's events in his head over and over, each time feeling more and more nauseated.  
  
"Bucket," he finally croaked.  
  
Ron dashed for the cupboards in the back of the room and returned just in time. Harry wretched into it, although he had no idea how – he had hardly eaten anything that day to begin with. Hermione soothed his head back onto the pillow, and he had no idea how long it was she and Ron stayed there with him until he fell into a restless sleep, still in his Quidditch Robes.


	32. Routine

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Comments: **I know, I'm positively evil for making Harry and Silver break up! And, the plot thickens...

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 32 – Routine**  
  
"How _could_ you?" Hermione hissed at Fred and George the next morning.  
  
"We didn't think Silver would come," Fred said uncomfortably.  
  
"And that _matters_?" Ron answered angrily, "He didn't want to come in the first place, and he didn't want his name in the bloody bucket!"  
  
Harry listened to them argue listlessly. They thought he was still asleep. He wanted to jump out of bed and give Fred and George a good punch in the face, but he didn't. He felt too empty to do it. He didn't even know why they were still there anyway. So he just lay there, letting them think he was asleep.  
  
"Well, he looked so bored..." George protested weakly.  
  
"Oh, so you decided to keep him busy _snogging a girl_?" Hermione shrieked furiously.  
  
"Oh come off it!" Fred exclaimed, "He was never actually going to snog the girl, we just wanted to see how he would react!"  
  
"And it's not like any of the girls expected him to snog them – they know that he's loyal to Silver!" George said, sounding as angry as Hermione.  
  
"Well, the whole party was a stupid idea in the first place!" Hermione said, her voice rising passionately, "You snuck fourteen people through that passageway, if Dumbledore ever found out-"  
  
"Dumbledore _won't_ find out, and if he did, what would he do?" Fred answered, "Give us detention?"  
  
"He probably knows anyway," George added, "That man knows everything."  
  
"That doesn't make it okay!" Hermoine replied hotly.  
  
For a moment everybody was silent.  
  
"Maybe," Fred said at last, "Maybe if we explained to Silver..."  
  
"Well, that might work, if any of us had any idea where she is," Hermione answered.  
  
"She's not here?" George asked, his voice unnaturally high.  
  
"Well, I went to Dumbledore, and he told me not to worry, so she's obviously somewhere in the castle, but we can only begin to guess where," Hermione replied.  
  
"Is Harry...I mean, is he..." Fred trailed off uncertainly.  
  
"If you were going to say completely heartbroken, the answer is yes," Hermione told him, "He won't say a word to us unless he's asking us for a bucket to vomit into!"  
  
"And he doesn't eat, so we can only begin to guess what he's puking," Ron added.  
  
"I suppose we really screwed up," George said.  
  
"You bloody well did screw up!" Ron yelled back, "And you'd better find a way to fix it!"  
  
"Yeah," Fred said, "Yeah, we will."  
  
"We're going to go see Dumbledore," George added.  
  
Harry heard the door open and shut, and heard Ron muttering under his breath, "They'd better bloody fix it."  
  
Hermione sighed and walked into view. She looked at him and jumped upon seeing that his eyes were open.  
  
"Harry!" she exclaimed, "You're awake!"  
  
Ron hurried over as if to verify for himself that Harry was awake.  
  
"Hey, mate," he greeted in an attempt at cheerfulness, "Hungry?"  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"Are you sure, Harry?" Hermione said, "It's almost lunchtime."  
  
Harry stared ahead of him idly in reply. What would be the use of eating? He would just vomit up anything he ate, he was sure of it. He closed his eyes under the pretense of falling asleep once more. After a few minutes, Ron spoke.  
  
"Aw, 'Mione, I can't stand to see him like this," he said, his voice strained, "He won't even talk to us."  
  
"I know," Hermione answered, "But he's really hurt – just as hurt as Silver is."  
  
"She didn't even listen to him, 'Mione," Ron said, sounding frustrated.  
  
"Ron, she walked into the Three Broomsticks to see George reading his name out of the Snog Bowl, and the fact that Fred had dragged him up to the front of the crowd made it seem like he was expecting it to happen. And no offense to Harry or anything, but he really isn't very good at explaining himself out of tough situations like that."  
  
Harry couldn't help but be a bit amused. Hermione was being intelligently blunt, as usual.  
  
"Yeah, but...but she's got to know Harry wouldn't do that!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"But that's just it, Ron, she _doesn't_," Hermione replied, sounding equally perturbed, "Everyone she's ever known has hurt her – and Harry just did the same thing. To her, it's normal."  
  
Ron sighed exasperatedly. "Well what do we do?" he asked finally.  
  
"I don't know, Ron," she answered, "I just don't know."  
  
Harry's stomach gnawed at him, although he wasn't sure if it was from his feelings, or from hunger. He drifted off to sleep again, seeing as it was the only thing to do.  
  
"Harry? Come on, mate, wake up," Ron was saying, a bit tentatively.  
  
Harry rolled over to look at his friend silently.  
  
"Um, it's Monday, and it's breakfast time," Ron said meekly, "And Hermione says you should really come on."  
  
"Tell Hermione to shut the bloody hell up," Harry replied evenly, rolling back over.  
  
Ron didn't answer, and Harry sensed him leaving after a moment. He evaded all the curious stares he was getting by putting his pillow over his head and attempting to go to sleep once more, although he wasn't the least bit tired. He heard the door slam open, and thought wryly, Wonder who that could be?  
  
"Harry Potter, get out of bed!" Hermione demanded.  
  
Harry didn't move, and Hermione snatched his pillow and his blankets.  
  
"Out!" she demanded.  
  
He turned to look at her with amusement and annoyance, but mostly the latter.  
  
"Get out of the boys' dorms, Hermione," he said calmly, "And leave my bedding here, if you please."  
  
"Look, Harry, I know you're upset, but that's no reason to miss class!" Hermione said.  
  
"Because classes are the most important thing in the world, right Hermoine?" Harry answered.  
  
"I never said that," Hermione replied, "But what I did say was to get up, so come on."  
  
"Go away," he answered.  
  
"Harry, GET UP!" she yelled.  
  
Harry ignored her and rolled over on his empty bed. She could scream herself senseless if she wanted, but he didn't feel like going to class, and she wasn't going to make him. Hermoine continued to scream, until Ron quieted her.  
  
"Mione, he's not coming, so just stop and give him back his bed," Ron said.  
  
"He's going to miss class!" Hermione replied, as if this were the most horrible thing somebody could do.  
  
"Yeah, well he has a good reason," Ron replied, "So let's get down to the kitchens and ask Dobby to keep an eye on him for us, and let him be."  
  
Hermione didn't reply, so Ron continued, "If we don't go now, we'll be late to class."  
  
"Oh, alright," she complied, "But honestly, he is so dramatic!"  
  
Harry felt his pillow land on his head, and a second later his blankets landed on his legs. He sat up briefly to fix his blankets, and then lay back down, staring up at the ceiling listlessly. He didn't see how he was the dramatic one, when she was the one gong ballistic because he was going to miss a few classes. Suddenly the door opened. Harry looked to see who it was, but didn't see anybody. A second later, a pair of saucer like eyes appeared in front of his face. He yelped and fell out of bed.  
  
"Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby squeaked, "Dobby did not mean to scare Harry Potter!"  
  
"Right," Harry said, wincing as he got up and back onto his bed to look at the house-elf.  
  
"Dobby hears that Harry Potter is very sad, sir," Dobby said, looking as if he were about to burst into tears, "Dobby wants to help Harry Potter!"  
  
"Nothing you can do, I'm afraid," Harry replied.  
  
Dobby surveyed Harry for a moment before asking, "Does Dobby have permission to be bold, Harry Potter, sir?"  
  
"Go ahead," Harry said, sitting back against the wall.  
  
"Why is Harry Potter sad, sir?" Dobby squeaked.  
  
Harry sighed. "They didn't tell you?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, no, Wheazy and his missus did not tell Dobby why Harry Potter is sad," Dobby replied, shaking his head frantically.  
  
"Well, my girlfriend kind of broke up with me," Harry said finally.  
  
"Dobby wishes he could help," Dobby said, looking positively heartbroken for Harry.  
  
"Please don't try," Harry replied weakly, "No offense or anything."  
  
Dobby nodded. "Dobby will not meddle in Harry Potter's affairs," Dobby said, "Dobby is a good house-elf."  
  
Harry didn't answer.  
  
"Is Harry Potter hungry?" Dobby squeaked suddenly.  
  
"No," Harry lied.  
  
Dobby looked torn. "But...Wheazy told Dobby to feed Harry Potter, sir," Dobby explained.  
  
"I'm not hungry, Dobby," Harry said, his temper starting to rise.  
  
"Dobby is a bad house-elf!" Dobby cried in alarm, "Dobby argued with Harry Potter's orders!"  
  
He began beating his head against Harry's footboard. Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"Dobby, stop!" he yelled.  
  
Dobby stopped and looked at him, teary-eyed.  
  
"I'm hungry after all," Harry grumbled.  
  
"Dobby will feed Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby replied, and he rushed out of the room at once.  
  
Harry groaned, hoping his stomach would choose to keep the food down. When Dobby returned, he ate the food the house-elf provided gratefully. After that, he kept up a halfhearted conversation with Dobby in between the times when he fell asleep. Harry finally dressed and went down into the common room, keeping watch on the clock. Ten minutes before the last class let out, he dismissed Dobby and went down to the library, knowing that Ron and Hermione were going to rush up to Gryffindor tower to see him, and not wanting to face them. He wandered aimlessly through the shelves, looking for something to catch his eye.  
  
He suddenly found it, but it was not in the shelf in front of him, but beyond it. Silver was sitting, alone, at a table in the library, working on what appeared to be homework. He watched her through the shelf in a kind of trance. He had to talk to her without having her run away – he had to set things right. He began to silently rehearse what he was about to say, when Malfoy walked up. Harry's blood began to pound in his ears as he watched him approach Silver.  
  
"Hey," he greeted.  
  
Silver looked up. "Shove off," she replied.  
  
"I heard you broke up with the Potty," Malfoy said.  
  
"I said, shove off," Silver replied, standing up and gathering her things.  
  
Malfoy's face hardened and he and took her by the arm. "Don't tell me that, half-blood," he whispered, his face only inches from hers.  
  
Harry couldn't restrain himself any longer. He stepped out of behind the shelf and caught Malfoy on the side of the face with a well-aimed punch. Malfoy staggered backwards, releasing Silver at once. Harry grabbed Malfoy by the collar and shook him hard before he had a chance to recover. He whirled around, dragging Malfoy with him, and smashed him against a bookshelf with strength he never knew he had.  
  
"_Don't_ touch her," he hissed, "Don't you _ever_ touch her."  
  
"You're not her..." Malfoy began, but Harry pressed him against the bookshelf, his hand around his neck, and Malfoy immediately stopped talking.  
  
"I'm telling you not to touch her," Harry said calmly, "Now what do you say?"  
  
Harry pressed his hand into Malfoy's neck harder, and Malfoy choked, "Okay, I won't touch her. Let me go!"  
  
Harry released him, and Malfoy wasted no time in heading for the door. Harry then turned his gaze to Silver, who looked shocked. In the blink of an eye, she burst into tears, and with a sob that made Harry's heart hurt, she fled from the room. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. _Can't I do anything right?_ He wondered. He had been expecting at the very least a "thank you".  
  
He headed for Gryffindor tower, feeling nauseated once more. _I can't even keep my bloody food down_, he thought miserably as he headed through the portrait hole. He walked past many curious eyes towards the boys' dorms, and when he got there, he found the reason.  
  
"How would I know where he is?" Ron roared, "I was in classes all day, same as you are!"  
  
"Well, you're the one that shares a room with him!" Hermione replied.  
  
"Like that matters! You come barging in here whenever you want!" Ron answered.  
  
"Can one of you move?" Harry asked dryly, "I'm about to vomit, and I need my bucket."  
  
They stopped and looked at him blankly. He groaned and clutched his stomach as the nauseating feeling in his stomach began to grow. Ron grabbed Hermione and yanked her out of the way. Harry headed for the bucket by his bed, and made it just in time. When he was done, he lay back down and glared at his friends, who were standing nervously by his bed.  
  
"W...where were you?" Hermione asked timidly.  
  
"I was in the library beating up Malfoy for hitting on Silver," Harry replied matter-of-factly.  
  
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.  
  
"No," Harry said, answering their unspoken question, "She didn't say one word to me. She started crying and left."  
  
"Oh," Hermione said softly.  
  
"Can you two go away for a while?" Harry asked, "I kind of want to be alone right now."  
  
"Sure, mate," Ron said quietly, putting his hand on Hermione's back and leading her out of the room.  
  
Harry threw up once more before he fell asleep, something he had become quite good at doing, even when he wasn't tired. He vaguely remembered that he was supposed to have Occlumency that night, and decided to sleep through it.

------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next two days were the some of the worst Harry had ever experienced. He went to classes on Tuesday, for Hermione's sake, and had a wonderfully miserable time. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Tonks accidentally said the word, "silver", and although she was referring to the color rather than the person, Harry had to dash out of the room to wretch. He didn't go back after that, and flatly refused to go to classes on Wednesday. He couldn't even imagine facing Snape in Potions, and didn't want to risk having to run out of any of his other classes, either.  
  
To his surprise, however, he seemed to really have scared Malfoy, who stayed a good distance away from him at all times. He completely ditched Occlumency on both Monday and Wednesday, and amazingly Dumbledore didn't do anything. He supposed Dumbledore knew – everybody seemed to know. He was sick of getting sympathetic looks from everybody, and so during mealtimes he went up to his bed and took a nap.  
  
Late Wednesday night Hermione began to go through with him what they had in each of their classes. She carefully explained the components and purposes of the potions Snape had had them brew, and explained their other classes in detail. She made him do the homework required for them, and told him that she would turn it in for him.  
  
"Gee, thanks, Hermione, at least I won't have any missing homework," he said sarcastically as he began a History of Magic essay.  
  
"Your welcome," she replied, just as sarcastically.  
  
His mind began to wander as he wrote, and when he finally looked down, his paper read:  
  
_In the early 1970s, witches and wizards discovered a wonderful Silver Silver Silver Silver_  
  
"I can't concentrate," he announced.  
  
Hermione took his paper from him and read the half-sentence. Her eyes filled with tears.  
  
"Oh, Harry," she said, "I'm so sorry."  
  
Ron looked up. "Is it that bad?" he asked curiously.  
  
Hermione began to cry and wrapped her arms around Harry after shoving the parchment as Ron. Ron read it and looked up at Harry sympathetically.  
  
"I'm sorry, mate," he said in the quiet, calm tone he had been using so often the past few days.  
  
Harry felt a lump in his throat, and he quickly backed away from Hermione's grasp. He walked to the boys' dorms and fell face down on his bed, pressing his face into the pillow hard. Finally, the lump disappeared, and left him with a now familiar emptiness. As was now routine, he forced himself to go to sleep, the only place he could escape reality.


	33. Loving Hate

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or ideas.

**Comments: **Sorry I didn't update yesterday - for those of you who didn't notice, the server was down!

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 33 – Loving Hate**  
  
Thursday was by far the worst day Harry had to go through. He attempted to go to classes, but only made it through half of Transfiguration before Professor McGonagall's praise of Hermione's work ("Absolutely beautiful!") reminded him of Silver, and he had to run out to vomit. _Is it just me, or is this getting worse?_ He wondered as he walked up to Gryffindor tower.  
  
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Ron and Hermione didn't pester him, and so he simply lay in bed until everyone else came in to go to sleep. He forced himself to fall asleep along with everyone else, although he wasn't quite sure how he managed it amidst all of Ron's snores.  
  
Harry awoke because of a bright light filtering in through the boys' dorms. Ron groaned from beside him, muttering something about 'bloody bright'.  
  
"Harry, wake up," a feminine voice said.  
  
"Do you have any idea what time it is, Mione?" he answered, turning to look at his clock.  
  
"I'm not _Mione_, and I have no idea what the time is," Silver answered pertly.  
  
Harry shot up into a sitting position. "Oh," he said, gaping at her. By now, most of the other boys were awake, and watching with interest.  
  
She walked up to him and slapped him briskly. It hurt.  
  
"I hate you," she announced fervently.  
  
"I knew th-"he began, but he was cut off by the fact that she had climbed onto his bed and enveloped him in somewhat of a passionate kiss.  
  
_Something is very wrong_, he thought, _But whatever it is, I like it_. She pulled away from him, and looked at him with unreadable emotions in her eyes.  
  
"I hate you for going to that party," she said.  
  
She paused to let it sink in, and then continued.  
  
"But that's not all. I hate you for rescuing me yesterday in the library, I hate you for not talking to me this whole time, and I hate you because when you look at me like that it's impossible not to kiss you."  
  
With that, she kissed him once more. He returned the kiss this time, and wrapped his arms around her. She pulled back, but not completely out of his arms. This time, her eyes weren't hard to read. She was looking up at him with the same loving adoration that he was looking at her with. He began to grin.  
  
"I hate you for being so adorable, you know," she informed him.  
  
He began to pull her to him, but she stopped him.  
  
"Wait – I forgot," she said, trying to push him away.  
  
He paused, looking at her intently.  
  
"I hate you for making me love you so much," she finished.  
  
He grinned and pulled her into an earth-shattering kiss. When he released her, she was smiling back up at him.  
  
"So – you forgive me?" he gathered, a bit uncertainly, "Just like that?"  
  
"Just like that," she confirmed, "I'm sorry, Harry."  
  
His heart, instead of feeling as if it were going to break with sadness, suddenly felt as though it were going to burst with happiness. He began to pull her closer, but she stopped him.  
  
"Do you still love me?" she whispered, her lips only inches from his.  
  
"More than I've ever loved anyone," he replied honestly.  
  
She smiled. "Tell me," she requested.  
  
"I love you, Silver whatever-your-last-name-is," he replied contentedly.  
  
"Riddle works," she replied as he pulled her into a kiss.  
  
"How 'bout Potter?" he asked mischievously as he drew away.  
  
"That works, too," she informed him, her lips brushing against his as she spoke.  
  
"Good," he replied, kissing her once more.  
  
This time, he didn't allow her to draw back, but continued to kiss her.  
  
"Get a room!" Ron exclaimed, throwing his pillow at them.  
  
Harry pulled away from her for a moment, but Silver was the one who spoke.  
  
"Shut up, Ron!" she replied, a bit breathlessly.  
  
"Seriously, we don't all want to watch you two snog all night," Ron replied.  
  
Silver sighed as she drew away from Harry once more. "Well, you've ruined the moment now," she told him, glaring at him and pulling away from a very disappointed Harry.  
  
Ron looked a bit smug. "Well, we don't want to hear mush all night either, so just go into the common room anyway," he answered.  
  
Silver gave Ron a withering look as she rose and headed for the door, followed closely by Harry, who also glared at Ron. The fire in the common room was dim, but provided a decent light. Harry sat on the couch and held Silver wordlessly for a few minutes, half of him thinking that it was all a very realistic dream. He kissed the top of her head, and he could almost feel her smile.  
  
"Why'd you forgive me?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know," she answered, which made him a bit uncomfortable.  
  
"I mean, I do, but it's hard for me to say," she corrected herself.  
  
He rocked her slowly, his arms securely around her, as he waited.  
  
"I suppose it's because I can't...well, I can't...can't live without you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Why is that hard to tell me?" he inquired.  
  
"B...because, Harry, I...I'm just not used to trusting people enough to say that," she said, sounding a bit annoyed.  
  
"Sorry," he said, kissing the top of her head once more, "But if it makes you feel any better, I can't live without you, either."  
  
"It does," she said, sounding relieved.  
  
"Every time I heard or saw anything that reminded me of you, I threw up," he informed her, "Twice."  
  
"Oh, Harry," she said, "I'm sorry."  
  
"Well, it wasn't pleasant," he agreed, "But it wasn't totally your fault."  
  
"Fred and George," she sighed.  
  
"Yes, Fred and George," he growled, "Next time I see them, I'll-"  
  
"Do nothing," she finished, "Harry, trust me, they've already punished themselves enough."  
  
"You've seen them?" he asked, surprised.  
  
"Yes, on Monday they were both practically in tears begging me to take you back," she replied.  
  
"Monday?" Harry exclaimed, "How come you waited until now?"  
  
"Because, Harry, I was so hurt," she said, "Even when I realized that it wasn't your fault, I was still hurt. Just the thought of you hurting me hurts...does that make sense?"  
  
Harry thought about it for a minute. "Yes," he said after a while.  
  
For a moment they were silent. Harry was still rocking her, and he felt her relaxing as he did so.  
  
"I'm sorry for running out on you in the library," she said suddenly.  
  
Harry frowned and stopped rocking her. "Why did you do that?" he inquired.  
  
"I don't know," she sighed, "It was too overwhelming – I wanted to kiss you, and I wanted to slap you, and then I saw the look on your face, and it was just too much."  
  
"What did my face look like?" he asked interestedly.  
  
"Hurt," she replied, "Because of me."  
  
"It wasn't you that hurt me," Harry told her, "It was the lack of you."  
  
He began rocking her again.  
  
"Where were you the whole time?" Harry asked.  
  
"The Room of Requirement," Silver replied, "I found it by accident, and Fred and George explained to me what it was."  
  
"Oh," he said, "Did you go to any of your classes?"  
  
"Just Potions," she replied.  
  
Harry groaned at the near-mention of Snape. "I'm surprised Snape hasn't hexed me yet," he moaned.  
  
"My guess would be he hasn't figured out the password yet," Silver answered helpfully.  
  
He couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of Snape standing outside the Fat Lady's portrait trying to guess the password.  
  
"So basically, if I'm ever in the halls with no witnesses, I'm in danger?" he asked amusedly.  
  
"I wouldn't rely on witnesses to keep him from hexing you," she replied.  
  
He laughed. "Yeah, it is Snape we're talking about," he agreed.  
  
"I'll talk to him tomorrow," Silver said decidedly, "Hopefully before he gets you."  
  
"Comforting," Harry informed her.  
  
She giggled, and then yawned.  
  
"I'm tired," she said, beginning to get up.  
  
"Don't go yet," Harry answered, pulling her back to him.  
  
He had just gotten her back, and was not even considering letting her go anytime soon. Plus, he had slept more than enough in the past five days.  
  
"I can't stay awake much longer," she protested.  
  
"Just for a little bit," he said, scooting down into a more horizontal position.  
  
She was too tired to protest, and she laid her head against him sweetly. In less than a few minutes, she was asleep. Harry took in everything about her that he had missed – her scent, the softness of her hair, the peaceful look she acquired when she was asleep, but most of all just her. He eventually fell asleep as well, not knowing or caring what time it was.  
  
It ended much too soon for his liking.  
  
"What are you _doing_?" Hermione squealed, waking him up out of a dead sleep.  
  
He opened his eyes to find that he was laying on his back, and Silver was sleeping sweetly on top of him. At Hermione's voice, she stirred slightly, but didn't awaken that he could tell.  
  
"Hush, Mione," he answered.  
  
"_Harry_, you are _sleeping_, with a _girl_, on a _couch_!" Hermione replied, "I should – give you a detention!"  
  
"I would prefer it if you would refer to Silver by her name," Harry replied coolly, "And I won't be taking any detentions unless she comes with me."  
  
"_Silver_?" Hermione squealed.  
  
"Mione, hush up!" Ron called from the boys' dorms, "We're just getting back to sleep!"  
  
"What do you mean, just getting?" Hermione asked, "It's morning time already!"  
  
"I would hardly call five fifteen 'morning time'" Ron answered, "And yes, just getting, because Harry and Silver kept us up all night!"  
  
Hermione gave Harry a suspicious look that caused him to grin and blush.  
  
"Really, Mione, get your head out of the gutter," he told her, "We were just sleeping. All our clothes on and everything, promise."  
  
It was Hermione's turn to blush. "Well, I never said..." she began.  
  
"But you thought," Harry countered.  
  
Hermione tiptoed over much more quietly and peered at Silver.  
  
"So you two are back together?" she asked delightedly.  
  
"Yep," he confirmed, smiling and running a hand through her hair.  
  
"How?" she inquired.  
  
"Well, at around one o' clock this morning she came in, slapped me, told me she hated me, kissed me, and told me she loved me," Harry replied, grinning.  
  
Hermione giggled as they both looked at Silver, who was stirring once more. "Sounds just like her," she said.  
  
"I heard that," Silver murmured sleepily.  
  
Harry grinned. "How long have you been awake?" he inquired.  
  
"Long enough," she replied, "But I'm not ready to be awake yet."  
  
She snuggled up to him as she said so, and he obligingly secured his arms around her.  
  
"You don't have to," he said, "Because Hermione's going to go back up to the girls' dorms and wait until a reasonable hour to come down here."  
  
Hermione smirked at him as she walked up the stairs, and he chuckled.  
  
"What?" Silver inquired.  
  
"Oh, nothing, just the look Hermione gives people that boss her around," he replied.  
  
"Hmm," she replied tiredly.  
  
He rubbed circles on her back, fully awake, and feeling as if he had slept enough to stay awake for an entire week – during which he fully intended never to let her out of his sight. After a bit, she stirred again, and nearly rolled off the couch. He caught her and drew her back up beside him as her eyes fluttered open. She saw him and smiled.  
  
"Well, aren't you handsome this morning?" she asked sweetly.  
  
He felt himself grinning stupidly in reply. She began to scoot closer to him, but suddenly she jumped up.  
  
"I have to get ready for class!" she exclaimed, heading for the portrait hole.

He rolled his eyes. Frankly, he didn't care if she was 'ready' for class or not, as long as she was with him.  
  
"Where are you going?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Oh, I took all my things to the Room of Requirement," she replied, "I'm going to go and get ready, and I'll meet you in the Great Hall at seven thirty, okay?"  
  
"Whatever you say," he replied agreeably.  
  
He trudged back to the dorms to get ready himself, and was surprised to find that it was only six thirty. Since when did she need an hour to get ready? He had half a mind to go and find her, when he remembered that she was probably going to have a talk with Snape so that he didn't hex Harry into next year when he saw him at breakfast.  
  
"Wake up," Harry ordered Ron, flicking his ear.  
  
"He's back," Ron groaned, much to Harry's amusement.  
  
"Yes, he is," Harry agreed, "And he wants you to know that if you don't get up within the next five minutes, he's going to whap you with a pillow until you do."  
  
Muttering under his breath, Ron complied. When they walked out into an empty common room, he nearly exploded.  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"Oh, we're meeting her in the Great Hall in about half an hour," Harry replied.  
  
"So you woke me up a half an hour earlier than I needed to be?" Ron demanded.  
  
"Yeah, you looked like you had gotten enough sleep," Harry answered.  
  
Ron just shook his head.  
  
"You know, if you weren't my best mate, I think I would punch you right now," he commented.  
  
"I know," Harry answered, grinning.  
  
Hermione joined them shortly, and Ron became much more good-natured about having woken up, since she greeted him with a kiss.  
  
"Glad you woke up, now, I see," Harry observed wryly.  
  
Ron blushed, and Hermione smiled.  
  
"Where's Silver?" she asked.  
  
"Uh, we're meeting her in the Great Hall in about fifteen minutes," he replied.  
  
"Do you want to head over now?" she inquired.  
  
"Oh, no, she might not be done yet," Harry replied, "She had to talk to Snape about not hurting me when he sees me."  
  
Ron grinned. "Yeah, Hermione tried to tell him you were out because you weren't feeling good, and he docked twenty points from Gryffindor."  
  
"_Twenty points_?" Harry repeated.  
  
"He said it was for telling a falsehood," Ron replied, doing an excellent imitation of Snape with the last three words.  
  
Harry began to laugh. It wasn't funny that so many points had been deducted from Gryffindor, or that Snape was so mad at him, but he hadn't laughed in days, and he felt compelled to be ridiculously happy. Ron and Hermione exchanged smiles, and then Hermione enveloped him in a hug.  
  
"Oh, Harry, it's so nice to have you back," she sighed.  
  
"Yeah, mate, it really is," Ron agreed, giving Harry an appreciative look.  
  
Harry grinned. "It's nice to have Silver back," he replied, "Beyond nice, in fact."  
  
Ron gave him an odd look, but it quickly disappeared to be replaced with a smile.  
  
"Well, let's go find her," he said, "We'll be a few minutes early, so we'll just have to hope Snape's already gotten Silver's pep talk – or whatever it is she tells him."  
  
Harry laughed. "Alright, come on," he agreed.  
  
They headed down to the Great Hall in good spirits. When they entered, Harry did a double-take. Charisma was the most noticeable thing in the entire room. She had now reached the height of the table, and was beginning to develop shinier feathers and a sleeker coat. She spotted him and gave a squeal, nudging Silver in the back. Silver, who was standing next to the Gryffindor table talking to Parvati and Lavender, turned to look at Harry, and the Great Hall suddenly grew silent. Harry realized that whilst everyone knew that they had broken up, nobody knew that they had gotten back together. He grinned and winked at Silver, who blushed and beamed at him in reply.  
  
He was a bit uncomfortable as he made his way over to her amidst all the stares, but happy all the same. When he reached her, he grinned, put his arms around her, and bent to kiss her.  
  
"Harry, everyone's watching," she protested weakly.  
  
He grinned. "So?" he answered, pressing his lips onto hers.  
  
Somebody gave a whoop, and immediately the entire Great Hall, excepting a selective few, began to echo it. Silver was still blushing when Harry drew away, and the Great Hall was still in an uproar.  
  
"Way to go, Harry!" Dean yelled loudly as they sat down.  
  
Harry blushed. "Uh, thanks," he mumbled.  
  
Something hit him on the back, nearly knocking him into his food. He turned to find that it was Charisma.  
  
"Oh, hi Charisma," he said.  
  
The hippogriff nuzzled him affectionately. Silver smiled.  
  
"She missed you," she informed Harry.  
  
"Yeah?" Harry asked amusedly, scratching Charisma's head.  
  
Silver looked at Charisma for a moment, and Charisma stopped cuddling up to Harry in order to look back at her. Harry got the feeling they were having a conversation of sorts, which made him a bit uncomfortable, but he was relieved when Charisma backed off so that he could eat without her head in his lap. He began to eat hungrily, and as he did so, he observed the Great Hall with appreciation. He had never noticed just how wonderful it was. The enchanted ceiling above gave an excellent imitation of a cheerful, sunny morning, the students all looked so content, the Valentines Day Ball poster hung neatly on the door...  
  
Harry choked on his food suddenly. Ron, Hermione, Silver, and Charisma looked over in concern.  
  
"Are you okay?" Silver asked as he regained his composure.  
  
"There's a Valentines Ball?" he replied.  
  
"Oh, that," Ron said, "Yeah, they hung up that poster on Monday."  
  
"And you didn't tell me?" Harry demanded.  
  
Hermione snorted. "No offense Harry, but you wouldn't exactly have taken the news well."  
  
"Yeah, you probably would have thrown up your entire stomach," Ron said, wincing at the thought.  
  
"Oh," Harry said, realizing that they were right, "I suppose."  
  
He glanced over at Silver, who was doing her best to look completely innocent.  
  
"How many people have asked you so far?" he demanded.  
  
She shrugged, a bit meekly.  
  
"How many?" he demanded.  
  
"Six," she admitted.  
  
Ron choked on his food, and Hermione nearly spit out her orange juice.  
  
"_Six_?" Harry echoed, "Already?"  
  
She bit off a piece of her bacon on response.  
  
"You didn't say yes to any of them, did you?" Harry asked suspiciously.  
  
She gave him a reproving look. "Of course not," she said defensively.  
  
"What kind of pig would ask you right after we broke up?" Harry fumed, "Who asked?"  
  
"Harry, don't go getting mad," she answered, "I didn't say yes to any of them, so it doesn't matter."  
  
"Oh yes it does!" Harry replied, glaring angrily at every boy he laid eyes on, "They were trying to take advantage of you right after we broke up!"  
  
"Well, it didn't work," she replied calmly.  
  
"Tell me!" he demanded.  
  
She sighed. He then spotted Dean and Seamus, who were looking at him in a rather scared manner and blushing.  
  
"They did, didn't they?" he asked, pointing to Dean and Seamus.  
  
"Well, yes," Silver said, "Dean and Seamus were two of them, but...Harry!"  
  
She grabbed his arm and yanked him back down as he began to stand up, ready to give Dean and Seamus a piece of his mind...and fist.  
  
"The others," he demanded.  
  
"Devin Carter, Kyle Lawrick, Neville, and Malfoy," she answered.  
  
"_Neville_?" Harry exploded.  
  
"Well, yes, but he admitted afterwards that he only asked me because he was too embarrassed to ask Luna," Silver said, "So don't be mad at him, Harry."  
  
Harry nodded briefly as his eyes searched furiously for Devin, who was a Ravenclaw. He found him, caught his eye, and gave him a menacing look, causing Devin to hurriedly look away.  
  
"Who's this Kyle guy?" he asked.  
  
"Um, I don't really know. He's in Slytherin," Silver answered.  
  
"He's a seventh year," Ron replied, "And he was none too happy when she refused, from what I overheard Wednesday at lunch."  
  
"And Malfoy," Harry said, looking at Malfoy with loathing, "I can't believe he had the nerve..."  
  
"Harry, calm down," Silver said, a hand on his arm.  
  
He reluctantly turned back to his food, although he still felt like punching a hole through Malfoy's face. Ron sniggered suddenly.  
  
"Guess what, mate? I'd say that Snape wants to kill you as bad as you want to kill Malfoy," he commented.  
  
Harry looked up at Snape to find that Snape looked close to foaming at the mouth. Harry was surprised he didn't just jump up, grab his wand, and yell 'Avada Kedavra' while he had the chance.  
  
"Um, I thought you talked to him," he said to Silver, reaching for his wand as Snape continued to give him a death look.  
  
"Trust me, that's a big improvement," Silver replied, taking his hand out of his pocket before he could reach his wand.  
  
Harry groaned. He had never seen Snape look more hateful.  
  
"I can't wait until Monday," he said sarcastically.  
  
Silver laughed. "Why, because we have Occlumency again?" she joked.  
  
"Don't even joke about that," he replied.  
  
She giggled, and he relished the sound. Without warning, he put his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. She looked at him questioningly for only a moment before wrapping her arms around him.  
  
"I missed you, you know," he informed her quietly.  
  
She hugged him tighter in reply. "Me, too," she whispered.  
  
He didn't let her go until the bell rang to get to class, and even then, only reluctantly. As they walked towards class, Hermione grabbed Harry by the arm.  
  
"Harry, I need to talk to you," she said.  
  
He, Silver, Ron, and Charisma all stopped to look at her. She gave an exasperated sigh.  
  
"Alone," she finished.  
  
"Can't it wait, Mione?" he said, looking at Silver pointedly.  
  
"Nope," she replied pertly.  
  
He was about to protest, but Silver stopped him with a hand on his arm.  
  
"I'll save you a seat, Harry," she promised.  
  
He watched her go longingly.  
  
"This had better be good, Mione," he said as she disappeared around the corner.  
  
"Why didn't you ask her to the Valentines Day Ball?" Hermione demanded.  
  
"Uh – she's my girlfriend," Harry replied, "So she's going with me. Right?"  
  
Hermione gave him a look of utmost exasperation.  
  
"Well, lucky for you she won't hold it against you for thinking that," she replied, "But really, Harry, that doesn't mean that she doesn't want to be asked."  
  
"Fine then, I'll ask her," Harry said, beginning to head towards Transfiguration.  
  
"Harry, you'd better do it right," Hermione warned.  
  
He stopped. "What do you mean, do it right?" he asked.  
  
"Make her feel special when you ask her," Hermione replied, "We were talking that morning before the Quidditch game, and she was saying how she would really like to be swept off her feet one of these days."  
  
"Swept off her feet?" Harry echoed, "What does that mean?"  
  
Hermione sighed. "Figure it out, Harry!" she exclaimed.  
  
They walked around the corner to find Ron and Silver waiting for them. They were talking about something, but quickly stopped when Harry and Hermione came into view. The foursome exchanged glances, and then set off for class. The shortened school day passed very smoothly – without one hint of nausea, Harry noticed.  
  
When classes finally let out, Harry was overjoyed. A whole weekend of having Silver to himself once more lay ahead – during which time he would attempt to figure out how to 'sweep her off her feet'.  
  
"Hey, guys, want to see the room I've been staying in?" Silver asked suddenly.  
  
"Sure," Ron replied, "Where is it?"  
  
"It's the Room of Requirement," Harry informed him.  
  
"How'd you find out about that?" Hermione asked interestedly.  
  
"Dumbledore told me," Silver replied, "Actually, it's been quite nice having my own room."  
  
"I'll bet," Hermione said.  
  
The door to the Room of Requirement was already there when they arrived.  
  
"Hey, the door's already there!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, I think it's because I left all my things in it," Silver answered, "But who knows?"  
  
She pushed open the door and the foursome plus Charisma walked into a very nice room decorated in Gryffindor colors. Towards the left wall there was a fireplace, and a single couch and coffee table in front of that. Towards the right wall there was a bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a closet. On the far wall there was what looked to be a huge dog bed – but Harry assumed it was for Charisma.  
  
"Isn't it nice?" Silver asked, beaming around at the room.  
  
Harry was watching Charisma intently. She was getting awfully big, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before Charisma's castle days were over. He looked over at Ron and Hermione, who were also looking at Charisma. The three exchanged glances. None of them wanted to be the one to tell Silver that her days with Charisma were limited. In the end, they made a silent decision not to say anything.  
  
They helped Silver gather her things and take them back to Gryffindor Tower, and then Harry and Ron waited in the common room while Hermione, Silver, and Charisma made their way up the stairs to the girls' dorms to drop her things off. When Silver came back down, Harry wasted no time in pulling her onto the couch beside him. She willingly allowed him to pull her into his arms, and for a while they just sat there. She buried her face into his chest, and he leaned back contentedly. He noticed that Ron and Hermione were watching them very intently.  
  
"What?" he inquired curiously.  
  
"You two are just really sweet," Hermione replied simply.  
  
Harry smiled and glanced down at Silver.  
  
"You hear that, hon?" he asked, "We're sweet."  
  
She beamed up at him. "Yes, you are," she agreed, kissing him lightly.  
  
Harry smiled and tightened his arms around her, completely forgetting that Ron, Hermione, or anybody else was in the room. All that mattered was that Silver was his again – and he never intended to give her up.


	34. What Goes Up

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Comments: **For those of you who are getting bored with romance, hang in there...action will be coming up after the Valentines Ball, which is one or two chapters away...haven't decided yet. Oh wait, I lied. There's going to be a bit of action before that. Right then, I've given enough away.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 34 – What Goes Up...  
**  
"Ron," Harry said exasperatedly, "How do you sweep a girl off their feet?"  
  
It was Saturday night, and Harry had been thinking over the question almost all day. He was still nowhere closer to finding the answer, and Hermione wouldn't give him any clues. She wanted him to think it up himself. The other hint she had given him was, "Do something to make other girls jealous." He had no idea what girls wanted in the first place, so that didn't help much.  
  
Ron looked over with surprise. "You're asking me?" was his reply.  
  
"Yeah, shoulda known you wouldn't be much help," Harry mused, earning himself a glare. He grinned. "What? It's only true!"  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "Who do you have to sweep off their feet?" he asked.  
  
"Parvati," Harry said sarcastically, "Who do you think it is?"  
  
Ron grinned. "Sorry, mate," he replied, "No need to get so sensitive."  
  
"Hermione told me I had to sweep her off her feet when I ask her to the Valentines Day Ball," Harry said, "And I have no idea what that means. She told me to figure it out."  
  
"You don't have to ask her, she's your girlfriend," Ron scoffed.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought, but Hermione said I had to ask her," Harry replied.  
  
Ron groaned. "That means I have to ask Hermione!"  
  
Harry chuckled. "Yep, so you better get thinking," he agreed.  
  
"Sweep them off their feet..." Ron pondered, "Do you think they mean it literally?"  
  
"Nah, they'd get mad if we tripped them with a broom," Harry answered.  
  
Ron began laughing hysterically. "That's not what I meant, mate!" he managed in between laughs.  
  
"It's not that funny," Harry mumbled.  
  
Ron finally stopped laughing, although every time he looked at Harry he would chuckle.  
  
"I reckon we should ask for help, mate," he said finally.  
  
Harry followed Ron's gaze to Dean and Seamus.  
  
"No way am I asking them!" Harry exclaimed, "I've half a mind to punch them in the nose, anyway!"  
  
"Aw, come on, you can't blame em," Ron said, "The hottest girl at Hogwarts breaks up with her boyfriend just in time for the dance – people are going to ask her."  
  
"They were taking advantage of her," Harry said, his temper beginning to rise, "The low-down, rotten, dirty little..."  
  
"Alright, alright, we'll go talk to someone else," Ron said, scanning the room.  
  
He groaned, and Harry immediately saw why. The only other person in the dorms was Neville. Harry chuckled.  
  
"Ron, it can't be that hard," he said, "Not if Hermione told me to figure it out."  
  
"True," Ron agreed.  
  
"Sweeping them off their feet..." Harry murmured.  
  
Visions of broomsticks began to form in his mind, and soon he was thinking of Quidditch. He groaned.  
  
"Ron, I keep thinking of Quidditch!" he exclaimed exasperatedly.  
  
Ron blushed. "Me, too," he admitted, "That was entirely the wrong phrase for Hermione to give us."  
  
Suddenly Harry jumped up. "I've got it!" he exclaimed.  
  
Ron jumped up, too. "What?" he asked excitedly.  
  
"I'm not telling you my idea," Harry replied.  
  
"_What_?" Ron said, "Yes you are!"  
  
"No, I'm not," Harry answered smugly, "I thought of it, and you're not using it. Just buy Hermione flowers or something."  
  
"Your idea is better than flowers?" Ron groaned.  
  
Harry grinned. "Let's just say I'll be...making a statement," he replied.  
  
"So when does this brilliant plan go into action?" Ron asked.  
  
"Tomorrow at breakfast," Harry answered, happy with himself for finding a suitable plan.  
  
"I'm going to go with the flowers," Ron announced.  
  
Harry sniggered, and eventually that led to a rowdy pillow fight.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next morning, Harry snuck out of bed early. He shook Ron awake knowing full well that it could result in a broken nose.  
  
"Go away," Ron growled.  
  
"Ron, listen," Harry answered, "I need you to have Silver in the Great Hall, _standing up_, at seven o' clock. Got it?"  
  
"Silver stands up at seven," Ron repeated, "Got it."  
  
"In the Great Hall!" Harry hissed.  
  
"The Great Hall stands up at seven," Ron mumbled, "Right."  
  
Harry groaned. "_Ron_," he said exasperatedly, trying very hard not to scream at him.  
  
"Silver..." Ron mumbled, "...stands up...Great Hall...seven...go away."  
  
Harry supposed that would have to do.  
  
"I'll kill you if you forget," he mumbled as he grabbed the Marauder's Map and left. He exited the portrait hole and looked at the map. It took him a second to find his name, but he did. But a second dot was headed his way...Severus Snape. Harry groaned out loud, and Snape's dot began to quicken it's pace.  
  
"Mischief managed," he hissed, shoving it in his pocket and fumbling for his wand.  
  
Snape came around the corner just as he drew it out, and for a moment the two froze. Snape looked at Harry and actually trembled with rage. Harry noted that he, too, had his wand drawn out. _Think, Harry, think_, he told himself, _Umm...Expelliarmus, right...go!_ He raised his arm, but Snape was too quick.  
  
"_Expelliarmus_," Snape said smugly, and Harry's wand flew into his hand.  
  
"Going to hex me, Potter?" Snape inquired.  
  
"It was self-defense," Harry answered, looking for an escape route.  
  
"From what?" Snape sneered.  
  
"Nothing. Just give me my wand back and get out of my way," Harry snapped.  
  
He then realized that he had made a big mistake. Snape took his wand and pointed it at Harry's throat.  
  
"You don't give orders around here, Potter," he whispered, "Why aren't you headed for the Great Hall, anyway?"  
  
Harry sighed. "It's a surprise for Silver," he said, "I'm going to sweep her off her feet when I ask her to the Valentines Ball."  
  
Snape eyed him suspiciously. "How are you going to do that?" he demanded.  
  
"It's a surprise," Harry answered, hoping that Snape liked surprises.  
  
Apparently, he didn't. He opened his mouth, looking as if he were about to curse Harry into oblivion, but then it snapped shut. He looked as if he were fighting an inner battle – Harry was pretty sure he knew what it was. Finally, Snape spoke, his voice icy.  
  
"It had better be good, Potter."  
  
With that, he threw Harry's wand on the ground and proceeded to the Great Hall. Harry let out a long breath as he retrieved his wand. Snape had come within an inch of causing him great injury, he was sure of it. He glanced at his watch, groaned, and headed for the Quidditch field at a run. Once there, he didn't stop for breath, but entered the locker rooms, grabbed his Firebolt, and headed back to the castle. He then walked quietly. It was six fifty-nine, according to his watch. He edged outside of the doors, and peered in. Silver, Ron, Hermione, and a large Charisma were walking to the table. Hermione was holding a bouquet of flowers and holding Ron's hand. Silver began to sit down, but stopped when Ron nearly went ballistic.  
  
"DON'T SIT DOWN!" he bellowed.  
  
Silver jumped up and looked at her seat as if it were going to eat her.  
  
Harry shook his head, grinning. Ron wasn't one for subtlety. He mounted his broom and gathered his courage. You can do this, he thought, _She loves you...she won't hate you if you embarrass the crap out of her_. He let out a long breath. Amazing how he could face Voldemort in a duel, but had trouble with carrying out his plan to ask his girlfriend to the dance. Finally he took a breath and soared into the Great Hall. Gasps came from the students as he shot towards Silver. Silver turned around, and barely had time to register what she saw before Harry pulled her onto his broomstick with him and soared upwards, not losing speed the entire time.  
  
"Harry," she squealed, leaning into him to keep her balance as they flew upwards, "What are you doing?"  
  
Harry allowed the broomstick to come to a stop when they were well above the other students, his heart racing. So far, so good. He pointed his wand at his throat and muttered, "_Sonorus_." Then, taking a deep breath, he tried his best to sound how he imagined his father would in a similar situation.  
  
"Morning, beautiful," he greeted Silver casually, his voice echoing through the Great Hall.  
  
She stared at him in reply, a pink tint appearing on her cheeks.  
  
"Morning," she finally replied, faintly.  
  
He grinned. "I have a very important question to ask you," he informed her, "Some might call it _the_ question."  
  
She looked shocked.  
  
He continued in a dramatic voice. "Silver Riddle, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Valentines Day Ball?"  
  
A few people laughed, but most awaited Silver's response. Slowly, a smile began to spread across her face. "Of course, Harry!" she replied, throwing her arms around him and almost making him fall off the broom.  
  
The Great Hall burst into applause. Grinning, Harry directed the broom downwards and allowed her to slip off of it amidst all the clapping and cheers. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.  
  
"See you in a few," he said, "Gotta go put the broom back."  
  
With that, he flew out of the Great Hall, grinning. He felt giddy with relief from the fact that she had said yes. He hadn't expected a no, but he definitely hadn't been expecting such an enthusiastic response. He felt very pleased with himself as he stored his broom and set off for the Great Hall. He thought he had done an excellent job of 'sweeping her off her feet' – hopefully she thought so, too. When he entered the Great Hall, the cheers began anew. Blushing, he made his way over to Silver. She threw her arms around his neck again.  
  
"Harry, that was so sweet," she sighed happily.  
  
He grinned. "Did I sweep you off your feet?" he inquired eagerly.  
  
She laughed. "Literally and figuratively," she assured him.  
  
He felt extremely pleased with himself.  
  
"Did you come up with that idea all on your own, Harry?" Hermione inquired, sounding impressed.  
  
"Yep," he confirmed.  
  
She smirked at him. "Of course, your first idea was probably tripping her with a broom," she teased.  
  
Harry blushed and Ron snorted.  
  
"Actually, Mione, it was," Ron informed her.  
  
Hermione and Silver burst into giggles. Harry blushed harder.  
  
Silver leaned over and kissed him lightly. "Don't worry, honey, I think it's sweet," she assured him.  
  
She wasn't doing anything to help his blush, but he appreciated it anyway. Suddenly Ron and Hermione stopped laughing, looking behind him.  
  
"What are _you_ doing here?" Ron asked pointedly.  
  
"I just wanted to talk to Silver," a familiar voice replied.  
  
Harry groaned inwardly. Cho's voice.  
  
Silver turned to look at Cho, who smiled sweetly at her. "Would you mind walking with me in the halls for a few minutes?" she asked.  
  
"Not at all," Silver replied.  
  
She turned to Charisma, who was the size of a pony. "You stay here," she told it firmly.  
  
The hippogriff reluctantly obeyed. As Silver got up to leave, she caught Harry's eye. Harry tried not to look guilty. He had never told Silver about Cho, and wasn't sure whether he should have or not.  
  
"Does she know about Cho?" Hermione inquired.  
  
Harry shook his head. "Should she?" he asked.  
  
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know, Harry – Silver's smart and emotional. It's an interesting combination."  
  
Harry watched as Silver and Cho exited the Great Hall. Charisma chirped loudly, demanding his attention.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
Charisma just stared at him.  
  
"Uh, I don't know what you're trying to tell me," Harry said, feeling a bit dumb.  
  
Charisma made an impatient noise, and Harry swore she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized.  
  
He looked over at Ron and Hermione, who were watching with amusement.  
  
"Maybe Silver will give you lessons on how to communicate with hippogriffs," Ron suggested.  
  
"Very funny," Harry answered dryly.  
  
He looked hopefully towards the doors, hoping that Silver would walk back through them. Hermione and Ron followed his gaze.  
  
"We'll just wait for her here," Hermione said, "She shouldn't be long."  
  
Harry nodded. "So, did I really do a good job?" he asked.  
  
Hermione smiled. "Yes, you did," she assured him, "I think Lavendar and Parvati almost fainted with jealously, anyhow, and I daresay Cho is jealous enough."  
  
"I never liked Cho how I liked Silver," Harry commented.  
  
"We can tell," Ron answered, smiling, "You're way mushier with Silver."  
  
"And more confident," Hermione added. "Face it – you would never have pulled that broomstick stunt for Cho."  
  
Harry grinned. "Guess not," he admitted.  
  
"I bet Cho'll be telling a different story, though," Ron said wryly, "That girl does have a knack for exaggerating."  
  
Harry groaned. "I can only imagine."  
  
For a few moments they were silent, until Ron commented.  
  
"Well, you won't have to much longer, mate, here she comes."  
  
Harry looked over, and sure enough, Silver was making her way towards them. She sat down next to Harry gracefully, and then smiled up at them all.  
  
"What did I miss?" she inquired.  
  
"Nothing much," Hermione replied, "What did Cho want?"  
  
"Nothing much," Silver mimicked pointedly.  
  
"Oh fine," Hermione sighed, "We were just discussing the fact that Harry likes you a lot more than he ever liked Cho. So what did she want?"  
  
Silver looked a bit surprised, but regained her poise immediately. "She just wanted to let me know her...personal...views on Harry," she replied.  
  
"And what were they?" Harry inquired.  
  
Silver smiled at him. "They were unimportant and irrelevant, my little heartbreaker," she replied.  
  
He wasn't completely satisfied with the information, but didn't press the matter.  
  
"So, what do you guys feel like doing today?" he asked, changing the subject.  
  
"I want to go for a walk," Silver said, "Charisma needs to get outside, too."  
  
"Well, that settles it then," he answered decidedly.  
  
The foursome followed an extremely excited Charisma to the doors. It was a wonderful sunny day out, and Charisma had only taken a step outside when she broke into a gallop. As she ran across the field, she unfurled her wings, and in less than a second, she was rising into the air. Silver beamed and gave a little hop in the air.  
  
"She's flying!" she exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"She sure is," Hermione agreed. They watched as the hippogriff soared around, enjoying its newfound freedom.  
  
In a moment, Charisma had returned to earth, and was trotting up to them. She sat down and looked at Silver, and the other three were silent as the two passed silent information. Charisma suddenly turned her gaze on Harry, and Silver followed suit.  
  
"Are you two talking about me?" he accused.  
  
Silver smiled. "We wouldn't dream of such a thing," she replied innocently.  
  
She turned to Charisma. "Why don't you go fly around for a while?" she suggested, "You can meet us when we're done with our walk, if you like."  
  
Charisma wasted no time in becoming airborne once more. Harry reached out for Silver and she immediately came into his arms as they began to walk around the lake. Ron and Hermione followed, hand-in-hand, a bit behind. Silver sighed with contentment.  
  
"It's so pretty out today," she commented.  
  
Harry pulled her closer in agreement and steered her towards a few large rocks. They seated themselves behind them, blissfully out of sight. Harry glanced over at her, feeling playful.  
  
"So," Harry said mischievously, "Am I romantic or what?"  
  
She giggled. "Of course you are, sweetie," she replied.  
  
"Oh, come on," he insisted, "Say it like you mean it."  
  
"Harry Potter, you are absolutely the most romantic male I have ever had the pleasure of meeting," she said dramatically.  
  
"Now that's more like it," he told her.  
  
"No matter what Cho Chang says," she added, her eyes sparkling.  
  
He turned towards her. "And what might that be?" he inquired interestedly, raising his eyebrows at her.  
  
"I'm not telling," she replied playfully.  
  
"Oh, you're not?" he asked, getting the feeling that a game was about to ensue.  
  
"No, I'm not," she declared.  
  
"Well, I'm just going to have to get that information out of you," he told her.  
  
"I'd like to see you try," she answered, sticking her chin defiantly in the air.  
  
"Even if it means tickling you senseless?" he asked slyly, reaching for her.  
  
"No!" she squealed, jumping up.  
  
"Oh yes," he replied, standing up and lunging for her.  
  
Giggling, she escaped his grasp and headed for some trees. He followed her, weaving in and out of them, and not realizing where they were headed. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, and he nearly collided into her.  
  
"Spider!" she shrieked, stepping back.  
  
Harry noted a solitary, small spider scurrying in the opposite direction.  
  
"Uh-huh," he said, "Very scary."  
  
She gave him a patronizing look. "It most certainly is," she informed him.  
  
They stared at each other for a second and then he grinned. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do.  
  
"Harry, no!" she cried, although she was laughing long before he reached for her and began to tickle her.  
  
She fought to get away, but he grabbed onto her, and as she stepped backwards, he tripped over something. She gave a small scream as they fell, but she landed laughing. He looked at her concernedly.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
She simply laughed. "I'm...fine..." she managed between gusts of laughter.  
  
He was still a bit concerned, and he rolled off of her so that he was laying beside her. Finally, she seemed to have controlled her urge to giggle, and they turned to look at each other.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she replied, still smiling amusedly, "I'm good. I can't believe you tripped."  
  
He blushed. "Well, if you hadn't been pulling away..."  
  
"If you hadn't been tickling me..." she reminded him.  
  
"If you had told me what Cho said," he answered.  
  
She sighed. "Must you be right?" she asked annoyedly.  
  
He pulled her over to him. "Yep," he replied triumphantly.  
  
She smiled at him. "Fine then," she replied in a mock exasperated tone, "She basically told me that you were a two-timer and had a secret relationship with Hermione, and to dump you on the spot."  
  
Harry chuckled. "Sounds like something she would say," he admitted.  
  
"Did you like her a lot, Harry?" Silver asked worriedly.  
  
"I suppose," Harry replied, reaching over to pull a leaf out of her hair.  
  
"As much as you like me?" she ventured.  
  
"Hardly," he replied amusedly, "First of all, I don't like you, I love you. Secondly, it was hard to like somebody who kept asking you about their dead boyfriend."  
  
Silver looked a bit confused.  
  
"Cedric Diggory was her boyfriend; Voldemort killed him right before I dueled him," Harry explained.  
  
"Oh," she said in a small voice.  
  
Harry entwined the fingers of his right hand with her left, and for a moment they stared at their interlaced fingers.  
  
"Did you kiss her, Harry?" Silver inquired suddenly.  
  
"Yeah – well, kind of," Harry answered, "It was more like she kissed me."  
  
He looked at her eyes and saw that she looked worried. He pulled her closer.  
  
"But she's not half as good a kisser as you," he told her, "In fact..."  
  
He paused and placed a kiss on her lips, "It's rather hard not to kiss you when you're this close."  
  
He kissed her again, and felt her kissing him back, to his relief. She pulled away, though, only some of the worry gone from her eyes.  
  
"She's really pretty, Harry," she said.  
  
He laughed. "She doesn't even begin to compare to you," he answered.  
  
He reached out and touched her cheek. "Listen," he said, "You're a better kisser than Cho. You're prettier than Cho. You're more fun to be around than Cho. I don't love Cho. I love you."  
  
He might have continued, but at his last words, Silver kissed him, and he was not remotely in the mood to stop kissing anytime soon. He reached his arms around her, but she was still hesitant. She drew away slightly, and looked him in the eye.  
  
"I love you, too," she said, looking a bit fearful.  
  
_Took her long enough_, he thought amusedly as he pulled her back into a kiss. He felt one hand running through his hair, and he wasn't sure of the other one's exact location at the moment, but he had a feeling it was probably working on its second or third button. He pulled away for a moment and looked into her puzzled eyes.  
  
"Is there a particular reason you like to unbutton my shirt?" he inquired.  
  
She blushed profusely, and he grinned.  
  
"One of these days, you're going to get to the last button, and then what will you do?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.  
  
Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "If you'd just shut up and kiss me, maybe you'd find out," she replied.  
  
He complied immediately. These were the times he appreciated her fieriness. Much to his disappointment, he never actually got to find out what would happen when she got to the last button.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione called, "Silver!"  
  
Silver began to pull away, but he held her for a few more seconds before letting her go.  
  
"What do they want?" he grumbled.  
  
"Mione, they're not going to be in the Forbidden Forest," Ron was saying.  
  
Silver sat up, but Harry stay laying down, buttoning up his shirt. They both looked around. They were, indeed in the Forbidden Forest.  
  
"Says who, Ron?" Silver piped up.  
  
Harry noted that she was covered in leaves and had to hold back a snort of laughter.  
  
"You two are in _there_?" Hermione exclaimed, her voice getting closer, "Where?"  
  
"Over here!" Silver replied.  
  
Harry heard footsteps approaching, and soon Hermione and Ron came into view. Ron sniggered when he saw them.  
  
"Having fun?" he smirked.  
  
"We were until you came," Harry answered irritably, sitting up and brushing some the leaves off of Silver's back.  
  
"I'll bet," Ron answered, still smirking. Hermione mirrored his look as she observed them.  
  
Harry glared, and Silver blushed. Harry then turned his attention to ridding her hair of leaves. He was a bit unsuccessful, seeing as most of them were in very small pieces.  
  
"Ouch!" she exclaimed as he attempted to extract a small piece.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly, "I can't get them out."  
  
She ran a hand through her hair and groaned. "Anybody have a brush?" she asked hopefully.  
  
Nobody replied, and she sighed. She grabbed a log and held it in front of her, and then used her wand to transfigure it into a very acceptable brush.  
  
"Nice work," Hermione complimented.  
  
Silver beamed as she ran it through her hair. Bits of leaves fell out as she did so. She handed the brush to Harry when she was done. He gave her a questioning look.  
  
"You need to use it," she told him, "Trust me."  
  
He made a face at her, and she made one back. Then, smiling, he ran the brush through his untidy hair.  
  
"You two really shouldn't go in the Forbidden Forest just to snog," Hermione told them disapprovingly.  
  
"Firstly," Harry answered, "We didn't come in here to snog. I just wanted to tickle her, that's all."  
  
Hermione looked disbelieving.  
  
"And secondly, we had no clue we were in the Forbidden Forest," he finished.  
  
"Whatever," Ron replied, "Let's just get out of here before we get in trouble."  
  
Harry got up and helped Silver to her feet. He put his arm around her as they headed out.  
  
"Love you," he whispered in her ear.  
  
She smiled up at him. "I love you, too," she replied quietly.  
  
Ron and Hermione pretended not to hear, but weren't very convincing. Harry was too content to care. He felt like everything was perfect, and he wanted it to stay that way. He tried to ignore the small voice in the back of his head that told him that whenever things seemed to be going well, something bad always happened. _Not this time_, he thought, _Nothing is going to happen this time_. He pulled her closer protectively, as if expecting a Death Eater to jump out of the trees and attack. He wasn't going to let her get taken away from him – ever. But he couldn't block out the nagging words in the back of his head, saying _What goes up...must come down._


	35. Must Come Down

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or items.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 35 – Must Come Down**  
  
When Harry awoke Wednesday morning, he didn't feel like he had much going for him. Potions on Monday had been unbearable – he had managed to get forty points docked from Gryffindor for "disrupting class" when he coughed (twenty points), and "being arrogant" when Snape got his and Ron's potions confused and he corrected him (another twenty). He had also learned why it was important to practice Occlumency every week: one week without it had made him unable to hold the Legilimens curse, so he had to start practicing his own methods once more, which resulted in him throwing up before Snape could even uncork the vial of purple potion for him. He didn't feel like reliving that day very much.  
  
He rolled out of bed and got dressed, whapping Ron on the head with a pillow as a signal to wake up, and then headed for the common room. He paused in the doorway. Silver was sitting on a couch, talking to Hermione, but looking more animated than usual. They both seemed to be very giggly about something, and that didn't stop in the least when Hermione looked over and pointed with a telltale squeal. Silver glanced over, the smile not completely gone from her face, and managed to blush while looking completely innocent. He grinned. Even if nothing else was going to go right that day, at least he had Silver.  
  
"Talking about me, are you?" he asked as he sat down next to her.  
  
"Now why would you think that?" she replied.  
  
He chuckled as he leaned closer to her. "Call it a lucky guess," he replied.  
  
She smiled and kissed him good morning. When they drew apart, her eyes sparkled at him, promising to tell him what she and Hermione had been talking about once they were alone. He grinned. She was very bad at keeping secrets from him. It was surprising, really.  
  
"Hey Mione, I don't think I woke Ron up properly when I hit him with my pillow," he said, "Wanna go get him?"  
  
"You just want to be alone," Hermione accused.  
  
Harry grinned. "Guilty," he admitted, "But at least this way you'll be able to give Prince Charming his good morning kiss in private. You do blush rather a lot when people are watching."  
  
Hermione blushed, confirming his words. "Fine," she huffed.  
  
Once she left, Harry grinned at Silver.  
  
"So?" he prodded, "You were talking about me?"  
  
She blushed. "I wasn't going to tell you right now!" she exclaimed.  
  
He smiled. "You know, you can be worse than Hermione with that blushing," he told her.  
  
"Well, you can be worse than...anybody...with those questions of yours," she replied.  
  
He grinned, and then made a puppy-dog face. "Tell me," he pleaded.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "If you must know, we were talking about how cute you are," she told him.  
  
Harry drew back a bit, his eyebrows raised.  
  
"Well, I was talking about how cute you are, and Hermione was talking about how cute Ron is," she corrected herself.  
  
He grinned and leaned closer a bit more. "Care to tell me about me?"  
  
"No," she replied, attempting to push him away and failing.  
  
"You know that never works," he told her amusedly.  
  
"It might one of these days," she replied stubbornly.  
  
"Morning, kids," Ron said in a cheerful voice, "I'm hungry, let's eat."  
  
Silver giggled and slid out of Harry's grasp. "You're always hungry, Ron," she informed him.  
  
He grinned. "Some call it a talent, some call it..."  
  
"A nuisance?" Hermione suggested.  
  
He frowned. "Actually, I was going to go with 'gift'. But that works, I suppose."  
  
Harry's attention was behind Silver, on the animal that had followed her out of the girls' dorm. Charisma was roughly the size of a large pony.  
  
"Uh, Silver?" he asked.  
  
"Hmm?" she replied.  
  
"Charisma is, well...big," he answered.  
  
Hermione and Ron turned around and he saw the looks of surprise on their faces.  
  
"That's bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, "How'd you get her to grow so fast?"  
  
Silver smiled. "She does it naturally," she answered proudly.  
  
Hermione frowned and exchanged worried glances with Harry.  
  
"Silver, I'm not sure she's going to be allowed in classes much longer," Hermione said, "Much less the castle."  
  
Silver looked surprised. "She's not that big," she protested.  
  
"Actually, she is," Hermione replied, "I doubt she'll make it in to one class today."  
  
Silver began to look defiant. "Well then I won't make it in to one class, either," she replied pertly.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine, be stubborn," she said, turning to go out the portrait hole.  
  
Annoyance flashed in Silver's eyes, and she muttered under her breath as she followed Hermione out. Truthfully, Charisma looked as if she may have had a bit of trouble squeezing through. Harry decided not to comment. Silver fell behind to walk with him, leaving Ron and Hermione up front.  
  
"I think Hermione's right," she said worriedly, looking over her shoulder at Charisma.  
  
"Well, we knew Charisma would grow," he said gently, "And she'll still be yours, no matter if she's in your classes or not."  
  
"I guess," Silver said, "It's just that I always feel safe with her."  
  
Harry feigned hurt. "You mean I'm not protector enough for you?" he exclaimed.  
  
She giggled and leaned into him. "Of course you are, honey," she replied, "You know what I mean, though."  
  
He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "Yep," he agreed, "I do."  
  
They sat down for breakfast, and, as usual, the owls came streaming in. Suddenly the whispers and pointing came that could only mean one thing: somebody had received a Howler. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Silver all looked up interestedly. Suddenly Silver gasped.  
  
"Esperanza," she said.  
  
Harry looked up, and sure enough, Esperanza was carrying a red letter their way. The owl dropped it into Silver's hands, and the Great Hall was hushed. Everyone was shocked that Silver would have gotten a Howler. Harry saw Snape stand up out of the corner of his eye. The envelope began to smoke at the corners, and Silver gently undid the flap. It sprung open immediately and hovered in the air before her. The words that came out, although calm, boomed across the Great Hall.  
  
"FOUND YOU, FLOWER."  
  
It began to singe at the edges, but Snape pointed his wand at it and yelled something, and it froze and clattered to the table.  
  
"Don't anybody touch it," Snape ordered.  
  
Harry looked over at Silver. She was staring at the letter in complete shock. She gave a small whimper and stood up slowly. She backed away from the letter as if it were going to eat her alive. Snape and Dumbledore were both walking over to the table. Silence lingered over the Great Hall. Snape pulled gloves onto his hands as he walked over, and gingerly picked up the envelope. Dumbledore placed his hands on Silver's shoulders.  
  
"Right this way, Miss Riddle," he said quietly, steering her towards the door.  
  
Charisma nipped Harry and he jumped up and ran after the threesome immediately. Snape looked over at Harry with loathing.  
  
"What do you want, Potter?" he snarled as they exited the hall.  
  
"I want to make sure she's okay," Harry replied angrily.  
  
"Well, she is, so..." Snape began bitterly.  
  
"Severus," Dumbledore interrupted, "Harry can come."  
  
Snape looked cheated and shot Harry a sneer of hatred. Silver walked along in silence, and it was beginning to worry Harry. He had though she would have said something by now. Once they were in Dumbledore's office, she still just stood there, looking blank.  
  
"Have a seat, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore offered, conjuring up a couch in front of his desk.  
  
She didn't respond. Snape set down the letter and the gloves and put his hands on her shoulders. Slowly, she looked up at him. Amazingly, there were no tears yet.  
  
"He found me," she said quietly.  
  
"You're safe," Snape replied.  
  
"He found me," she repeated, her voice rising a notch.  
  
"And I just told you that you're safe," Snape snapped. She looked up at him in surprise, and he looked back down at her evenly.  
  
"Do you not believe me?" he asked.  
  
"I believe you," she said, her voice quieting again.  
  
He nodded his approval. "Sit," he ordered.  
  
She obediently sat down.  
  
Snape sat on one side of her, and Harry on the other, as they faced Dumbledore. Dumbledore seemed to be considering what to say very carefully. He peered first at Silver, then at Harry, and then at Snape. He seemed to look at Snape for a very long time. Finally, he spoke with carefully chosen words.  
  
"Silver," he said quietly, directing his gaze to her, "I do not want you to do anything rash."  
  
"But-"she began.  
  
Snape silenced her with a hand on her arm. She looked up at him.  
  
"You must not do anything rash," he said firmly.  
  
She surveyed him for a moment before nodding. "I won't do anything rash," she promised.  
  
Dumbledore now looked amused. "I see you adhere to Severus' orders," he observed.  
  
She looked abashed. "I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore, I just..."  
  
Dumbledore held up his hand. "I understand," he told her.  
  
She directed her gaze downwards. Harry was wondering who, exactly, the voice had belonged to. It had been a male – where had he heard somebody call her 'flower' before? He racked his brain, but nobody came to mind. Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak, but Harry interrupted.  
  
"Who was the Howler from?" he inquired.  
  
Dumbledore, Snape, and Silver looked at him in surprise. Even Charisma looked at him oddly.  
  
"You do not know?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Harry shook his head. "Should I?" he ventured.  
  
"Think about it!" Snape snapped loudly, "Use your brain for once!"  
  
"Severus," Dumbledore said in a warning tone.  
  
Snape ignored him and continued to glare at Harry. "I know you have a brain, Potter, I just don't understand why you choose never to put it to use!"  
  
Harry began to feel angry. "I am using my brain!" he shot back. It was a lame comeback, but it was a comeback just the same.  
  
"Stop it, you two," Silver said quietly as Snape opened his mouth.  
  
They both fell sullenly silent.  
  
"Harry...it was Voldemort," she said.  
  
Harry snorted. "You're crazy," he answered, "Voldemort wouldn't send a letter, he would come and kill you."  
  
"Harry, think of my memories," she answered quietly, "He was the only one who ever called me that."  
  
An image of a girl being pushed up to Voldemort's throne filled Harry's mind. Voldemort's seemingly patient words seemed to echo across his mind, "Come here, flower." He looked up.  
  
"Why?" he finally asked.  
  
"To make us sweat it out," Snape answered, "He knows that Dumbledore has helped her."  
  
Suddenly Silver straightened up. "But..." she said, looking at Snape, "But you...he's going to blame you."  
  
"No doubt," Snape replied.  
  
"No," Silver said, "You can't go."  
  
"It is only a matter of time before I am summoned," Snape answered, "And then I must go."  
  
Silver shook her head. "He'll kill you," she whispered.  
  
"So be it!" Snape said, his voice rising, "I will die doing something honorable!"  
  
He suddenly clapped his hand to his forearm.  
  
"No," Silver repeated, her voice rising.  
  
Snape stood up. "I must go," he said, giving Dumbledore an apologetic look.  
  
Silver stood up and cemented herself to him.  
  
"You can't go," she said, "You can't!"  
  
Her voice was shaky, but she wasn't crying. Snape looked at Harry.  
  
"A bit of assistance, Potter?" he asked as he tried to pry her off of him.  
  
Harry looked at Dumbledore, who nodded at him. Then he got up and put his arms around Silver.  
  
"No, Harry, stop!" she said, "He can't go. He's going to die!"  
  
"Come on, Silver," he said gently, "He has to go."  
  
"No!" she yelled, fighting against him.  
  
He closed his eyes, trying to block out the sound of her protests. He put his arms around her and began to pull her backwards. Soon, Snape was freed. Silver was yelling protests at the top of her lungs.  
  
"Hush!" Snape commanded.  
  
She fell silent at once.  
  
"If I die," he said, looking at her intently and speaking with a frighteningly calm voice, "I die for you."  
  
With that, he Disapparated. Silver collapsed onto the couch, staring at the place where he had previously stood. Then, her face crumpled. She gave a heart-wrenching sob, and Harry quickly pulled her into his arms. She was shaking intensely with the force of her own tears, and it hurt him to see her so undone.  
  
"It's going to be okay," he told her.  
  
"No," she sobbed, "No."  
  
Harry looked at Dumbledore for assistance. Dumbledore looked as if he had expected the whole thing in the first place.  
  
"Just let her cry," he advised.  
  
Harry nodded, and continued to comfort her the best he could. As her sobs began to quiet, there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Come in, Minerva, children," Dumbledore said, rather cheerfully.  
  
Professor McGonagall, Ron, and Hermione came in, looking worried and confused. Their eyes all landed on Harry and Silver._ Please_, Harry begged them silently, _Please don't say anything about Snape.  
_  
"Where's Severus?" Professor McGonagall asked, as if on cue.  
  
Silver gave a loud sob and began to cry louder. Harry glared at Professor McGonagall, even though she had no way of knowing how her words would affect Silver.  
  
"He was summoned," Dumbledore said quietly, "By the same person who gave Silver the Howler."  
  
Professor McGonagall's eyes widened. "You don't mean to say..." she gasped.  
  
"Yes, indeed," Dumbledore replied, "Voldemort."  
  
Ron jumped at the sound of the name, and Hermione gave a small squeak, but they did their best to act as if it hadn't affected them. Professor McGonagall gave Silver a piercing look. Silver's sobs began to quiet again, and everybody stayed silent until she had stopped crying completely. She didn't pull away from Harry, but she spoke loudly enough so that everybody could hear her despite the fact that her voice as muffled by his robes.  
  
"I can't stay here," she announced.  
  
"And why not?" Dumbledore inquired.  
  
She pulled away from Harry. "Because I'm putting everyone in danger," she replied, "People that I love."  
  
She looked at Harry with this last statement.  
  
"I hate to break it to you," Harry told her, "But I'm in danger anyway. Scar on the forehead, boy-who-lived, that sort of thing."  
  
"Well won't it really be icing on the cake for Voldemort if he takes us both at once?" she replied.  
  
"Firstly, I would never let him take you without me," he replied, "Secondly, if he did take you, I wouldn't rest until either he was dead, or I died fighting him."  
  
"Nice, Harry," she sniffed, "You're impossible."  
  
He grinned. "I am," he agreed.  
  
She got up, however, and headed for the fireplace. She pulled a jar of Floo Powder off of Dumbledore's fireplace.  
  
"Miss Riddle," Dumbledore said, "Where are you going?"  
  
"The Snape Manor," she replied.  
  
"Do you really think that is a good idea?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Yes, I do," Silver answered, "I doubt Lestrange and Narcissa will attempt to break into his house."  
  
"And what makes you think this?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Because that old house is plain ornery," she answered.  
  
Dumbledore looked amused. "And if they are there?" he inquired.  
  
"I'll fight," she replied calmly, withdrawing her wand.  
  
She and Dumbledore exchanged a long glance, and finally, she spoke.  
  
"I know my way around that house," she said, "I know which hallways lead where on each day of the week, I know the secret passageways – well, most of them – and I know it would be the safest place for me to go. I can't stay here."  
  
Dumbledore gave her a calculating glance. "On one condition, Miss Riddle," he finally said.  
  
Harry glared at Dumbledore. There was no way he was letting Silver out of his sight, no way he was going to just let her go to that evil old git's house and hope that Lestrange wasn't there...  
  
"Mr. Potter will be accompanying you," he announced.  
  
Immediately Harry felt better. That was more like it, he decided. Silver looked at him, and he could clearly read the emotions in her eyes. She was relieved and anxious.  
  
"Headmaster," Professor McGonagall interrupted, "Do you really think that is the best idea?"  
  
"Yes, Minerva, I do," Dumbledore answered, "The Snape Manor is the last place anyone will think of looking for either of them, for one thing, and for another, I believe Silver is right. Severus does have an extremely ornery house."  
  
"I meant about sending the two of them – alone," she answered, eyeing Harry suspiciously.  
  
He couldn't help but grin.  
  
"I do not believe Mr. Potter is the type to..." Dumbledore paused, his eyes sparkling with amusement, "Take advantage," he finished.  
  
"He's not," Silver supplied.  
  
Professor McGonagall looked disbelieving.  
  
"Can't we go, too?" Hermione interrupted.  
  
"No, no, Miss Granger," Dumbledore replied, "Not today, anyhow. We need you, at the moment, to do a very important job."  
  
Hermione and Ron looked interested.  
  
"When you go back down, I daresay you will have people surrounding you, trying to find out what, exactly, happened," Dumbledore said, "We need you to tell them that Miss Riddle has received a Howler from an enemy, and that she and Mr. Potter are hiding _within_ the castle. Take care that these rumors get circulated, particularly to the Slytherin house."  
  
Hermione and Ron nodded, both looking happy to have a job.  
  
"Very well then," Dumbledore said agreeably, smiling, "You are dismissed."  
  
Hermione and Ron looked at Harry and Silver.  
  
"Will you two do me a favor?" Silver asked suddenly.  
  
Surprised, they nodded.  
  
"Take Charisma," Silver said, "She won't fit in the fireplace."  
  
The two looked at Charisma, who squealed in protest. After a stern glance from Silver, she reluctantly walked over to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Take care that she comes in the classroom with you," Silver added.  
  
"We will," Hermione said softly.  
  
"Bye," Silver replied.  
  
The other three echoed the sentiment, and then Ron, Hermione, and a mournful-looking Charisma turned and left.  
  
Silver and Harry exchanged glances. Silver, with a determined look in her eye, threw some Floo Powder into the fireplace. She stepped in without hesitation, and ordered, "The Snape Manor!"  
  
Harry shot one last look at Dumbledore's office and followed suit. He was spit out in a cold, stone room who's walls glowed with potions. He saw Silver waiting for him, and quickly regained the balance he had lost from spinning. She put a finger to her lips as he opened his mouth to speak, and he realized why after a second. They had to be sure nobody else was in the house. After minutes of standing perfectly still, Silver began to walk quietly out of the room. Harry followed without a question. She led him up two flights of stairs, and then straight to a wall.  
  
"Sorry about this, Harry," she said, "But I have to say the password to get in."  
  
He gave her a questioning look, and she turned to the wall once more.  
  
"James Potter is an arrogant, self-conceited, ugly git with messy hair," she said firmly.  
  
"No he's n-"Harry began, but then the wall began to open.  
  
"That's Snape's password?" Harry asked in disbelief as they stepped past the wall and it shut behind them.  
  
"Afraid so," she replied. He noticed that she had a smile on her face.  
  
"You think it's funny!" he accused.  
  
"I do," she admitted, and then, with a smile, "He is one for grudges, isn't he?"  
  
"I'll say," Harry muttered.  
  
They walked down a stone hallway where the people in the portraits pointed and whispered suspiciously. Harry followed Silver silently, although he nearly yelped when they turned a corner. There was a huge, life-sized, and very realistic portrait of Snape hanging there.  
  
"Hello," Silver greeted it pleasantly.  
  
The portrait-Snape sneered at her. "You again," he said in a bored drawl that sounded too much like Snape for comfort.  
  
"Yes, it is," she agreed cheerfully.  
  
"What do you want?" he sneered.  
  
"I would like access to this room, please," she answered politely.  
  
He smirked. "Password?"  
  
Her face fell slightly. "Well, I don't exactly have one," she said, "But you know he always lets me in!"  
  
"No password, no entrance," the portrait-Snape sneered.  
  
"But we really need in," Silver protested.  
  
The portrait-Snape's eyes flew to Harry.  
  
"You will foul the bed of my master," he accused.  
  
Silver blushed. "We most certainly will not!" she exclaimed, "You shouldn't think such things!"  
  
The portrait-Snape merely sneered, and repeated, "No password, no entrance."  
  
Silver seemed to be thinking.  
  
"James Potter is an arrogant, self-conceited git with messy hair?" she tried.  
  
He shook his head, smirking.  
  
"Um, I hate James Potter?" she tried.  
  
She still received a head-shake.  
  
"Sirius Black smells like a dog?" she tried.  
  
At Harry's look, she proceeded to explain. "That's the password for one of his labs."  
  
Harry began to get angry. _One of his passwords is probably, "I will kill Harry Potter"_, he thought dryly. Silver continued trying insults for passwords, mainly ones that included his father and Sirius, although he apparently also hated Lucius Malfoy with a passion. Finally, Silver lost patience.  
  
"Listen up!" she yelled at the smirking portrait, "Severus has been summoned by Voldemort, and he might very well be killed all because Voldemort is looking for me. He told me that if he died, he was going to die for me, so that obviously means he wants me safe, so he would obviously want me in the safest room in the house, which happens to be this one!"  
  
For a moment the portrait just stared at her. "No need to get so angry," he said at last, as he swung open. Harry couldn't believe their luck.  
  
"Thank you!" Silver said brightly to the portrait, "I take it you figured out not to let anybody else in?"  
  
"Yes," the portrait replied dryly, "I gathered."  
  
"Very good, then," Silver said, doing an excellent imitation of Dumbledore.  
  
Harry walked in to what looked to be a living room and a potions lab mixed together – the only thing to suggest that it was actually a bedroom was a large bed in the center of the right wall. Everything was decorated in Slytherin green, from the couch, to the bed, to the strip of wallpaper that encircled the room. Silver sat down on a couch immediately, and stared into the fire that was right by it. Harry sat down beside her.  
  
"Silver," he said finally, "Is there something I'm missing here?"  
  
She looked up at him curiously. "Like what, Harry?" she asked.  
  
"Like why Voldemort wants you so badly?" he asked.  
  
"Because he can't have me," Silver answered.  
  
She looked at the fire, and then back at him. "I can show you," she offered.  
  
"What do you mean, show me?" he asked.  
  
"Using Occlumency. I can show you why Voldemort wants me," she said, "It will be like looking into a Penseive."  
  
He regarded her critically for a moment. "Won't it hurt you to look back on it?" he finally asked.  
  
She smiled faintly. "I don't think so," she answered, "Because his chasing me for all this time only proves that I got the better of him."  
  
Harry didn't understand what she meant, and it must have shown in his eyes.  
  
"Let me show you," she said quietly, putting both of her hands up.  
  
He reached out and linked fingers with her.  
  
"Alright," he consented.  
  
She smiled. "Ready when you are," she said, closing her eyes.  
  
Harry looked at her for a moment. He had always expected to find out about her past, but not like this – not because he had to see it to understand why she was in danger. But here she was, trusting him enough to close her eyes and allow him complete control. She was going to show him memories that he was sure were hurtful. He spread their hands apart a bit, leaned forward, and kissed her gently. When he pulled back, she was looking at him with a smile.  
  
"I trust you, Harry," she said quietly.  
  
"I love you," he answered.  
  
She smiled. "Love you, too," she said, quicker than she had ever responded before.  
  
Then she closed her eyes again, waiting patiently for what she knew was about to happen.


	36. Flower

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or items.

**Comments: **Well, here you have it - a clue on Silver's parentage! It's not much to go by, I'll admit, but you get to eliminate some people from the circle.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 36 – "Flower"  
**  
Harry took a deep breath as he looked into Silver's face. She was waiting patiently for him to invade her mind and uncover possibly her worst memories. He wanted to know, but then again he didn't.  
  
"Just do it, Harry," she said, interrupting his train of thoughts.  
  
"Alright," he said, his mouth feeling dry, "Here goes."  
  
He closed his eyes and said quietly, "_Legilimens_."  
  
He felt as if he were being pulled in to Silver. It was a very odd feeling – almost as if she were sucking him up.  
  
He 'landed' in the same wooden room where he had previously witnessed many memories of her being beaten. He figured it was her bedroom. A small girl of seven or eight years wearing black robes with silver trim was slinging a small backpack over her shoulder. He knew it was Silver from the reddish- brown hair and big, expressive eyes. She was beautiful, even in her childhood. The door banged open, and the girl gave a squeak and flinched.  
  
"Get out here, you useless brat!" a woman's voice called.  
  
"Coming, mum!" she said quickly. She headed for the door, where a shadowy figure was standing. Harry had figured out by now that Silver knew how to manipulate her memories so that her mother's face was always blocked. He didn't understand why she didn't want him to know who it was, but he had never pushed the matter.  
  
The woman gave Silver a hard punch on the side of her head as she passed, and Silver's small head bounced off of the wooden doorway. She didn't cry out, complain, or even put a hand to her head, she just kept walking. She walked to the kitchen, her mother following her. Harry saw a pained look in her eyes. She sat down and her mother banged a plate down in front of her. On it lay a piece of toast, burnt and unbuttered. Silver's eyes widened when she saw it, and she crammed it into her mouth as if she hadn't eaten in days. Her mother gave her a sharp slap, causing her eyes to widen.  
  
"Use your manners, you filthy pig," her mother hissed.  
  
"Yes, mum," she whispered, cringing.  
  
"You will be going with Bella today," the woman announced.  
  
Harry's mind spun. Bella? Bella as in Bellatrix Lestrange?  
  
He watched as the small girl's eyes grew wide with fear and anxiety.  
  
"No, mum!" she said, "Bella is really mean, she's worse than y..."  
  
She was cut off as her mother gave her a shove that sent her crashing to the ground. Harry had a feeling the last word of her sentence was going to be "you", but he couldn't be sure. At that moment, a knock came.  
  
"Don't argue with me, impertinent child!" her mother said as she stalked to the door.  
  
Silver nodded mutely as her mother walked out of the room. Harry watched as tears began to fill her eyes. She rubbed her head where she had been punched gingerly, and a tear slid down her cheek. She angrily brushed it away and sniffled up her tears, yanking her hand away form her head. He saw the determined spark that she so often held now pass through her eyes. Her mother came in and grabbed her by the arm.  
  
"Don't embarrass me, you brat," she hissed in Silver's ear.  
  
When they arrived at the door, her mother's voice immediately filled with cheeriness.  
  
"Now just go along with Bella, sweetie, and mummy will come to the meeting later," she told her, patting her head before pushing her a bit harshly out the door.  
  
Harry felt shocked when he realized that Silver had been pushed towards an eight-year younger Bellatrix Lestrange.  
  
"How are you, kitten?" Lestrange greeted warmly after Silver's mother had closed the door.  
  
Silver looked surprised. He watched as her eyes filled with hope. "G...good," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
Lestrange turned around and slapped her in the blink of an eye. The small girl gasped, and the hopefulness left.  
  
"How about now?" Lestrange taunted, "Still feeling good?"  
  
"No," she whispered.  
  
"Good," Lestrange replied, "Now let's go. The Dark Lord does not like to be kept waiting."  
  
With that, Lestrange took off. Harry watched as the younger Silver took a deep breath and jogged after her. Lestrange led the small girl through alleys where surely, if the girl hadn't been holding on to the back of Lestrange's robes the whole time, she would have gotten kidnapped. Finally, they arrived at a small cellar door. Lestrange opened it and shoved Silver inside. Harry heard a sickening thud, and then a flopping sound that could only mean Silver was falling down a flight of stairs.  
  
Harry found it slightly annoying that you couldn't move around in the memories the way you did in a Penseive, but he saw pretty much everything anyway. The vision blurred for a moment, and then Harry was staring at a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs. Lestrange walked down and kicked the girl on her way past.  
  
"Get up!" she hissed.  
  
Trembling and wiping tears, Silver did as she was told with no complaint. Lestrange walked to a cabinet to the side of the small passageway that they were in, and pulled out a mask. After pulling it on, she was wearing the 'official' Death Eater apparel, seeing as she was already wearing black robes.  
  
She grabbed Silver and hissed, "Stay close, or I'll leave without you."  
  
Silver immediately grabbed onto Lestrange, fear in her eyes. Harry saw her wince with every step she took, and felt a rush of anger. How could anybody treat such a small child like that? Suddenly something distracted him from his thoughts. Lestrange was making her way towards a tall figure – but it couldn't be who he thought it was...  
  
"Get off me, child," Lestrange snapped as she and Silver arrived in front of the stranger.  
  
She flung Silver from her, and Silver would have gone toppling backwards if the stranger had not reached out and pushed her back upwards.  
  
Lestrange gave a giggle that sickened Harry. "You're so sweet, Severus," she told the tall figure.  
  
"Hardly," Snape replied coldly.  
  
He was peering down at Silver from behind his mask. Lestrange reached out and grabbed Silver's arm.  
  
"Say hello, you rude child," she barked, twisting Silver's arm.  
  
Silver's face contorted with pain. "He...Hello," she gasped.  
  
Lestrange continued to twist her arm, and Snape made an odd motion with his arms. It was almost as if he were going to reach out for Silver, but he stopped himself.  
  
"Let her go," he snapped, his voice higher than usual.  
  
Lestrange released Silver and stared up at Snape.  
  
"She's not your child," Snape hissed menacingly.  
  
"Her mother has entrusted her to my care," Lestrange answered.  
  
Snape appeared to look down at Silver again, although Harry couldn't really tell, because he had a mask on. Losing patience, Lestrange whipped around.  
  
"I'm going to go find Narcissa," she announced.  
  
She looked down at Silver. "Keep up if you can," she challenged.  
  
With that, she Disapparated away. Silver gave a small gasp. Snape looked around, and then squatted down.  
  
"Child," he said.  
  
She gave him a terrified look and began to run away, but he reached out and grabbed a hold of her arm. She turned to him, wide-eyed and scared out of her wits.  
  
"You're running the wrong way," he told her, "She's over there by the man with the long blonde hair."  
  
Silver looked over to where Snape was pointing, and there were two masked women and a tall man with a blonde ponytail. No doubt it was Narcissa, Lucius, and Bellatrix. Silver turned her gaze back to Snape, still wide- eyed.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered.  
  
Snape let go of her arm and stood up, but Silver remained there, staring up at him. He looked up for a few seconds before glancing down at her once more.  
  
"You're still here," he commented.  
  
"You're not going to hit me?" Silver asked, in awe.  
  
"No, child," he replied impatiently.  
  
"Not once?" Silver prodded.  
  
"No," Snape answered, sounding uncomfortable.  
  
Her eyes widened and lit up, and she shot him a shy smile. "Thank you," she whispered again.  
  
Then she turned and ran to Lestrange. Harry followed. Silver clung to Lestrange's robes and stared over at Snape for a long time, until suddenly everybody hushed. Then, they began to assemble hurriedly into a crescent before Voldemort's throne, in which he was now sitting.  
  
"Welcome," Voldemort greeted them, sounding not unlike Snape when he welcomed his classes at the beginning of the year.  
  
Silver turned away as he began to call his subjects up and punish them, and Harry turned to watch her. She seemed to be fighting some kind of inner battle. He reached out a hand to comfort her, but it passed straight through her. _Curse these memories_, he thought frustratedly. He was forced to settle for watching her. Suddenly, Lestrange reached out and yanked her into a standing position.  
  
"Here she is, my Lord," she said, pushing Silver towards the throne.  
  
Voldemort turned his head toward Silver and she gasped. His snakelike red eyes seemed amused. Silver began to fight against Lestrange, turning and trying to run in the other direction. Lestrange gave her a powerful punch, and she fell into submission. Out of the corner of his eye, he distinctly saw a Death Eater flinch when Silver was punched. He could guess who it was.  
  
"Sorry, my Lord," Lestrange said, wrestling Silver up to his feet.  
  
Voldemort reached out and took Silver's arm.  
  
"Go," he hissed at Lestrange, who hurriedly ran back to her place.  
  
He then turned to Silver, and spoke to her in a low voice which no one else could hear.  
  
"Stop fighting me," he whispered.  
  
"Never!" Silver answered.  
  
He laughed, and then spoke to the crowd.  
  
"In my hands at this very moment is one whom I sense has great potential," he announced, "She has a strong and determined spirit. I am pleased."  
  
"I don't want you to be pleased with me, you great git!" Silver exclaimed loudly.  
  
Several Death Eaters gasped. Voldemort turned to her and began to laugh. Harry had a feeling that normally that type of behavior would have resulted in death.  
  
"You will change your mind, young one," he said, and then, leaning so close to her that she winced, "You will change your mind."  
  
He released her as she was still struggling, and she fell back off the small stage that his throne was set up on and hit her head. She didn't move, and Harry guessed she was unconscious.  
  
"Leave her," Voldemort ordered, although nobody made an effort to get her.  
  
Harry began to walk towards her unconscious figure when he began to spin again. He knew he was being taken to another memory. Finally, he landed just outside of Silver's house to find himself looking at Bellatrix Lestrange once more. He inwardly groaned. He really didn't feel like seeing her any more – he was angry enough as it was. The Silver he was looking at was the same one that was sitting across from him on the couch at that very moment. Her eyes had their guarded look, and she was still shouldering a small backpack. Lestrange looked at her and smiled in a horribly sickening way.  
  
"How are you, my sweet?" she asked, her voice sickeningly sweet.  
  
"Terrible," Silver replied sarcastically.  
  
Lestrange knocked her firmly on the side of the head. "Hold your sarcastic tongue in the future!" she ordered.  
  
Lestrange turned and began to walk, and with a roll of her eyes, Silver followed. Harry got the feeling that she was used to being punched in the head by now. Lestrange was leading her through the exact same alleys that they had walked through when Silver was seven. Lestrange kept glancing at her watch, and muttering, "Late."  
  
When they arrived outside the cellar door, Lestrange turned to Silver menacingly.  
  
"You'd better hope he doesn't remember you from last time," she hissed, "And you had better be respectful."  
  
"I won't be respectful to anyone who sees fit to take the lives of innocent people," Silver whispered, looking to the side.  
  
Lestrange grabbed her by the hair and yanked her forwards.  
  
"What did you say?" she hissed.  
  
"I...I said..." Silver began, wining in pain as Lestrange continued to abuse her hair.  
  
"You heard what she said, did you not?" a voice suddenly came.  
  
Lestrange turned to look at a very angry-looking Snape. "What's it to you?" she spat.  
  
"I was just wondering if you were as deaf as you are dense," he replied evenly.  
  
Lestrange let go of Silver's hair. "Why are you defending the girl, Severus?" she asked, a smile playing upon her features.  
  
Snape's features hardened. "You are giving her unjust punishment," he answered.  
  
Lestrange let out a laugh. "Oh, she deserves it," she assured him, "Did you not hear what she said?"  
  
"I thought we already covered the fact that I had," Snape said in a bored voice.  
  
"Fine," Lestrange said, looking both confused and appalled, "Here – have fun with her."  
  
She opened the cellar, went in, and closed it firmly behind her. Snape and Silver stayed put for a moment, before Snape opened the door and went in, not even looking at Silver. Silver's eyes glowed with curiosity as she followed him down the stairs at a trot.  
  
"You," she said, panting as she caught up with him, "I remember you!"  
  
He pulled a mask out of the cabinet and examined it. "I doubt it," he answered.  
  
"I do!" she insisted, "You saved me last time, too."  
  
Snape gave her a sharp look.  
  
"Remember?" Silver asked.  
  
"No," Snape replied, putting his mask on and reaching for the door.  
  
"Wait!" Silver cried.  
  
Amazingly, Snape waited. He turned to Silver, his expression unreadable due to the mask.  
  
"Thank you," Silver said quietly.  
  
Snape turned and entered the chamber before another second had passed. Harry watched as Silver's eyes filled with confusion. She tentatively opened the door and looked around until her eyes locked on Snape. She began after him, but swiftly changed course, shaking her head to herself. She stood in a corner by herself, waiting, he guessed, for the meeting to begin. As she waited, she began to shake as she looked towards the throne. For a moment, everything became fuzzy, and then Harry was watching as Silver was shoved up towards Voldemort once more.  
  
She stood defiantly beside his throne, not looking at him or acknowledging him in any way. Voldemort's eyes swept over her greedily.  
  
"Now here's a sight for sore eyes," he commented.  
  
Silver turned to him angrily. "Don't you say that about me, you dirty old git!" she exclaimed indignantly.  
  
In response Voldemort reached out, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her to him. He spoke as loudly as before, looking straight at Silver.  
  
"You would do well to remember who I am, my innocent little flower," he told her.  
  
"I know very well who you are, _Tom_," she answered.  
  
Harry's eyes bulged out. Was she crazy? She was talking to Voldemort as if he were...an inferior.  
  
Voldemort twisted her arm, causing her to wince. "You will not call me by that name," he demanded.  
  
"I will, too," she answered.  
  
Harry had the crazy urge to laugh at the way she spoke to Voldemort. She was treading on very thin lines – in fact, he wondered why Voldemort hadn't either killed her or used the Cruciatus Curse yet.  
  
"I like your spirit," he informed her, "You will make an excellent addition to the ranks."  
  
"I'm not joining any r- _let go_!" Silver cried.  
  
He had exposed her forearm and was about to press his finger onto it in order to give her the Dark Mark. He looked up at her in amusement.  
  
"As you wish," he said, letting go, "But you may not leave, or you will take the Mark."  
  
Silver seemed to debate for a second before clutching her arm close to her and glaring at him.  
  
"I see you have not much changed since you were eight," he said, "Of course, I am talking about your mental development – you seem to have made quite an improvement, physically."  
  
Silver blushed. "You horrid, dirty old man!" she accused.  
  
Voldemort laughed. "You, flower, are good for a laugh," he informed her.  
  
"My name isn't flower and I wasn't trying to be funny," she informed him.  
  
"Your name is flower if I say it is," Voldemort replied, "And I didn't ask if you were trying to be funny, did I?"  
  
"Hmph," was her reply.  
  
Voldemort directed his gaze to a group of very shocked Death Eaters.  
  
"Do you see the mercy of your Lord?" he asked.  
  
A rousing chorus of yeses answered him. He grinned.  
  
"This girl you see before you who openly denies my name, you will soon see bow before me," he told them, "Of her own free will. Then, you will see the power of your master."  
  
Silver snorted loudly, and Voldemort's head snapped towards her. Harry saw definite annoyance.  
  
"Are you asking for torture?" he inquired, twirling his wand about.  
  
She glanced at it warily. "No," she conceded.  
  
"I suggest you keep your mouth shut unless you would like to compliment me," he answered.  
  
Silver glared. Voldemort continued to tell them about his future plans for Silver, which included bringing animals over to the Dark Side and making her his personal apprentice. Silver rolled her eyes at each of his suggestions, which caused him to become undeniably annoyed, yet amused. Harry, personally, felt that he could roll over laughing. The way she treated Voldemort was – unparalleled. Even Dumbledore did not address him so casually or rudely. And Voldemort seemed to be refraining from punishing her, although Harry supposed it was for obvious reasons. The only way he would ever get her to the Dark Side was by sweet-talking her, that much was obvious.  
  
When the meeting was dismissed, Lestrange left Silver to walk home herself. As Silver walked home, not noticing a certain Potions Master behind her, she fumed to herself rather loudly.  
  
"_I suggest you keep your mouth shut unless you would like to compliment me_," she mimicked in a high voice, "Oh, well all right, _Tom_, how about, your breath smells better than...oh wait, nothing. You're better looking than...oh wait, nobody. Your morals are higher than...oh look, nobody again. Is anybody sensing a pattern?"  
  
Harry glanced at Snape, who was walking behind her and trying very hard to keep from smiling. As they came to a fork in the road, he spoke to her in his usual harsh tone.  
  
"I would suggest keeping your voice down a bit."  
  
With that, he took the opposite road from Silver. Silver jumped, and then backpedaled instantly to watch him until he disappeared behind a curve. Then, she turned to continue home, and Harry felt a spinning feeling once again.  
  
This time, he landed in the memory that he had seen before. It started exactly where it always started.  
  
"Bring her to me," Voldemort said. A masked Death Eater, whom he assumed was Lestrange, pushed Silver forwards. Silver fought with a passion, but Voldemort managed to reach out in one swift motion and grab her arm.  
  
"Come here, flower," he said.  
  
She spat at him, and he laughed.  
  
"You would do well not to enrage your master," he advised her.  
  
"You're not my master, _Tom_," she replied, "And you never will be."  
  
Voldemort's eyes filled with rage – apparently that had been the last straw. He threw her from his small stage, and she landed on the ground, but still conscious.  
  
"_Crucio_," he hissed, pointing his wand at her.  
  
Silver bit her lip hard to keep from crying out, and he laughed. "You cannot escape it!" he cried.  
  
Finally, Silver's mouth opened and she let out an anguished cry. Voldemort laughed with satisfaction as he lifted his wand.  
  
"There now," he said, "I take it you are feeling more compliant?"  
  
She got up, eyes flaming, and spat at him once more. The wad of saliva landed on the lap of his robes. Tears streaming from her face, she got up and began to run for the door. A few Death Eaters began to get up, but Voldemort stopped them.  
  
"No," he said quietly, his eyes bright with rage, "Let her go. She will still be mine."  
  
Harry watched as Silver ran blindly through the dark alleys until she came to the edge of the forest. She ran right into it without thinking, sobbing.  
  
Suddenly he began to spin again, and then he heard her voice.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
He opened his eyes, and there she was, sitting in front of him. Her eyes were bright with tears. He pulled her close, and she cried silently for a few moments before wiping her eyes. A glance at the clock revealed that time had passed quickly, and it was nearly bedtime and well past dinnertime. He didn't feel remotely hungry, however, so he didn't comment. When she pulled away, her eyes were still bright.  
  
"That was the only time I've ever cried out when I was abused," she said quietly, "It hurt a lot, Harry."  
  
"Well, he was pretty mad," Harry said, trying his hardest not to look too amused, "You sure do know how to bug him, don't you?"  
  
To his surprise, she smiled. "Yep," she admitted, rather cheerfully, "It was like a game to me – see how much I could taunt him before he kills me."  
  
Harry's brow furrowed. "Why would you want to do that?" he asked.  
  
"Well, Harry, I had nothing to live for," she replied softly, "The only thing I knew was that I didn't want to become a Death Eater – so I didn't."  
  
Harry was silent for a moment, and she leaned into his arms.  
  
"You've known Snape for a long time," he said at last.  
  
"He protected me before he even knew me," she agreed, "And that's why he's not a git, Harry."  
  
"Not to you," Harry said, "But honestly, think of his passwords."  
  
Silver gave a halfhearted laugh. "Okay then," she conceded, "He's not a git to me."  
  
She suddenly buried her head into the front of his robes. "Oh, Harry, what if he's dead right now?" she asked.  
  
Harry wasn't sure how to respond, but he did the best he could. "He would have died for what he wanted to die for – you," he answered.  
  
"I don't want him to die for me," she replied, "I don't want him to die at all."  
  
Memories of Sirius began to wash over Harry, as if his death had happened just yesterday.  
  
"I know," he croaked.  
  
They held each other for a long while, and even after Silver fell asleep, she was still holding him tightly. He took her in his arms and carried her over to Snape's bed. He pulled back the covers and set her down in it, and then pulled them up to her shoulders. She stirred, and her eyes fluttered open momentarily.  
  
"Don't leave me, Harry," she said quietly, before closing her eyes once more.  
  
He felt it would be wrong to sleep under the covers with her, so he lay down on top of them. She scooted over to him unconsciously, and he put an arm around her blanketed figure. His mind drifted back to Sirius' death as he fell asleep.  
  
Suddenly he felt something hit the side of his face. His arm still around Silver, he peered upwards and nearly yelped. Snape was standing above him, looking angrier than he'd ever seen him.  
  
"Get out of my bed," he demanded fiercely.  
  
Harry obediently and quickly jumped out, fearing for his life. Snape bent a bit, so that his face was close to Harry's. He was breathing hard and trembling with rage, his face beginning to redden. Harry had _definitely_ never seen him this mad.  
  
"_What_ were you doing in bed with her?" he asked, looking as if he'd like nothing more than to strangle Harry.  
  
"We didn't do anything!" Harry said defensively, "She asked me to stay with her."  
  
"Why would she do _that_?" he demanded.  
  
"Because, she just showed me her memories of Voldemort using Occlumency, and she probably didn't want to be alone. Is that a problem?" Harry answered.  
  
He knew he had made a mistake when Snape raised his wand and pointed it at him. Harry couldn't do anything but stand there, trapped between the bed and the nightstand, as Snape opened his mouth to curse him with who-knew- what, but Silver saved him.  
  
She cried out, and both of their heads shot towards her.  
  
"No!" she cried, "I didn't do it!"  
  
She began to flinch repeatedly, as if somebody were hitting her hard. She screamed out this time, and Harry watched in shock as Snape reached over and took a hold of her flailing body.  
  
"Silver," he said quietly, "Wake up."  
  
"I'm...not...a...Death Eater!" she yelled, flinching in between words.  
  
"Silver!" Snape demanded, shaking her gently, but firmly at the same time.  
  
Her eyes shot open, and she looked at Snape with surprise.  
  
"You're alive," she whispered.  
  
Then, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fainted.  
  
"Get me a Revival potion, Potter," Snape ordered, "The cupboard on the left wall."  
  
Harry walked up to the cupboard and opened it to be presented with a variety of different potions. He had absolutely no clue which one was a Revival potion. He stood, gaping at the contents for a moment, until he was swept into shadows. Snape reached past his head and grabbed a glowing white potion.  
  
"Damn you, Potter, you're useless!" he snapped as he walked back towards Silver.  
  
Harry tried to think of a comeback, but he decided it was best not to insult a man who hated his father's guts, hated his guts, and had just discovered him sleeping in his bed with the equivalent of his daughter. Instead he watched as Snape propped her up and trickled some of the potion into her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open as he emptied the vial's contents down her throat. She looked at Snape for a long time before reaching out and touching his cheek with a scared look in her eye.  
  
"You're really alive?" she said at last.  
  
"Yes," he confirmed.  
  
She enfolded him in a tight hug and refused to let go for several minutes. Harry couldn't see Snape's face from where he was standing, but he watched as tears began to trickle down Silver's cheeks. Finally, she drew away. Harry edged over to the side to get a glimpse of Snape's face.  
  
"I thought you were d...dead," she sobbed.  
  
Snape rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Well I'm not," he answered, "So you have no reason to be crying."  
  
Silver wiped her eyes and nodded. "S...sorry," she sniffled.  
  
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Snape answered, "Now go back to sleep."  
  
He flicked his wand and the lights went out, leaving only a dim fire.  
  
"You get the couch, Potter," he announced.  
  
Harry walked over to the couch and lay down on it. No sooner had he lay down than something hit him in the face. A pillow. A second later, two blankets sailed over and dropped on his face. He wondered if Snape was trying to suffocate him and make it look like an accident. After fixing his blankets, he snuck a glance over in Silver's direction over the top of the couch. Snape had conjured up a fluffy, reclining armchair next to the bed and looked as if he were already asleep. Silver was sleeping on the edge of the bed closest to the armchair and Snape, and he could tell that she was already sleeping. He lay back down and closed his eyes, and heard a distinct shuffling from the other corner of the room. He didn't bother to see who it was, but instead focused his remaining efforts on clearing his mind to ensure a good night's sleep.


	37. Revelations

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Comments:** Ahh! Mistakies, mistakies. Yes, I did make Snape disapparate from inside Hogwarts. And I made Lestrange a free person and Voldemort alive. Whoopsies. I wasn't really thinking of that, I suppose...I kind of needed that for my story...oh well. My deepest apologies, everybody! Oh and also I really couldn't think of a name for this chapter - I'm trying to update before I leave for horse camp - so if the title makes no sense, don't worry about it!  
  
**I will be gone from July 11th until July 17th.**   
(so no updates during that time!)  
  
**Chapter 37 – Revelations  
**  
The next morning Harry awoke to find that he was completely alone in the room. For a moment he just stared around him blankly, not remembering where he was, but then the events of the previous day flew back to him at an alarming speed. Groaning, he got up and looked around. At the foot of the couch, there were some Muggle clothes laid out for him to wear. He held them up suspiciously. He was not going to wear anything of Snape's. However, they seemed much too small for Snape, as well as brand new – not to mention he didn't think Snape would have a reason for owning Muggle clothing. He grudgingly put them on, surprised to find that they fit perfectly. He walked towards the portrait, only to have it swing open as he reached for it.  
  
"Potter," Snape greeted him, looking as if he wanted to kill him then and there.  
  
"Uh, morning," Harry offered, reaching for his wand in what he thought was a subtle manner.  
  
"Follow me," Snape ordered.  
  
Harry new better than to argue with him, so he allowed Snape to lead him through what seemed like a maze. Finally, he found himself in a familiar setting – the dining room. Silver was already sitting at the table, her hair curled, wearing a light pink tank top and some faded jeans. She smiled at both of them in turn.  
  
"Sleep well, Harry?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"Yeah," he mumbled, trying to rid himself of Snape's piercing stare.  
  
He sat down next to Silver and immediately realized that was a mistake. She leaned over and gave him his good morning kiss, but the moment he reached for her, a loud clatter distracted him. They drew away and Harry hesitantly looked up at Snape. Snape looked as if he were going to spear him with his fork at any given moment. Breakfast was eaten in silence, with a considerable tension between Harry and Snape. Silver finished her breakfast first, since she had not been wasting her time glaring like Snape and Harry had been doing. She put down her fork and turned her gaze to Snape, who gave Harry once last sneer before turning to look at her innocently.  
  
"Can I play in the snow today?" she asked.  
  
Harry looked at her curiously. There was still a bit of snow outside, but not the kind good for 'playing' in – it was pretty much a layer of ice on the ground. Snape seemed to debate her question carefully before answering.  
  
"If Potter goes with you," he finally said, glaring at Harry once more.  
  
She turned to Harry, her entire face lit up with excitement. "Will you come with me, Harry?" she asked, her voice pleading.  
  
"Uh, sure," Harry replied.  
  
Snape ate his last bite of eggs and then snapped his fingers. Instantly a house elf appeared at his side.  
  
"Yes, master?" it squeaked.  
  
It was dressed in a silk green pillowcase, Harry noted, which was much better than what most house elves wore.  
  
"Miss Riddle would like to play in the snow today," Snape replied, "She would like..." he paused and looked at Silver questioningly "A light snowfall?"  
  
"Yes, please," Silver agreed.  
  
"A light snowfall," he confirmed.  
  
"Right away, master," the house elf chirped, and then it was gone.  
  
Harry looked from Silver to Snape curiously.  
  
"Am I missing something here?" he asked.  
  
"As usual," Snape sneered.  
  
Silver shot him a look, and he looked down at his empty plate intently. Then, she turned to Harry.  
  
"You can manipulate the weather in the backyard," she explained.  
  
"Oh," Harry replied.  
  
He didn't miss Snape's smirk at his less-than-intelligent answer. He finished his breakfast at Silver's urging, and then allowed her to drag him to a tall, wooden door. She pushed it open and he was shocked to see snow falling down softly outside. Silver dragged him out into the snow, the door closing behind them, and then she stepped away and turned her face upwards, smiling. Harry thought she looked like an angel. He looked up as well, and found that the sky was hiding a soft sunlight with fluffy grey clouds. When he looked back down at Silver, she was gone. He nearly began to panic, but the next moment he felt something hit him squarely in the back of the head. He turned around to see a smirking Silver tossing a snowball up and down in her hand.  
  
"You don't want to do that," he told her, scooping and gathering some snow.  
  
"Why not?" she challenged.  
  
"Because," he said, "I am the...master...of snowball fights."  
  
She began to giggle. "The master of snowball fights?"  
  
"I'm Snowball Master," he declared.  
  
She doubled over, clutching her sides. "Snowball...Master...oh...Harry," she laughed, falling down into the snow.  
  
He grinned – it was fun making her so happy. Finally, she stopped laughing and threw the snowball in her hand at him.  
  
"You're going to wish you hadn't done that!" he exclaimed, throwing his snowball at her.  
  
She rolled out of the way just in time. _Dang_, he thought.  
  
She gathered some snow as she leapt to her feet, but he had started first, and pelted her in the shoulder with a good-sized snowball. She gave a small shriek and threw her snowball at him as he bent down to get more snow. It hit him in the back of the head yet again.  
  
"And you call yourself Snowball Master?" she taunted, "I've gotten the back of your head _twice_."  
  
Grinning, he picked up his two freshly-formed snowballs and threw them at her consecutively. She squealed as one hit her side, and the other her leg. Harry bent to get more snow, but when he straightened, she had disappeared. He turned around slowly, looking at every bush intently. Suddenly he felt a snowball hit his cheek. He spun in her direction and shot a snowball over the hedge of the nearest bush. He knew he had succeeded when he heard a squeal, and she shot up, bits of snow all over her dampened curls. At first he wondered if she would be mad, but then she began laughing, and pelted a handful of snow at him, not bothering to roll it up.  
  
"Amateur," he accused, rolling his ball of snow up.  
  
She stuck her tongue out at him. "I got you anyway!" she replied.  
  
At his look, she gave a little squeak and ran behind the bushes. He followed her, and he had raised his hand to pelt her with a snowball when she suddenly reached up, grabbed a hold of his shirt, and pulled him down.  
  
"Shh," she said, pointing through a hole in the bushes.  
  
He peered through to see Snape standing out in the snow, looking around. He glanced at Silver to see that she was rolling up a snowball. _No way_, he thought. She finished rolling up two, and set one to the side. Once Snape had his back turned, she pelted it at him. It hit him in the back, and he whirled around. She didn't wait any longer to pelt the second one at him – and hit him right in the face. She clapped her hand to her mouth when she saw the slush slowly trickling down his face. She began to shake with silent laughter as Harry waited for Snape to point his wand at their bush and yell 'Avada Kedavra'. She suddenly began to giggle out loud, no longer able to hold it in.  
  
"Shh," he hushed her as Snape's eyes locked on their bush.  
  
Harry didn't understand what was so funny about pelting the most feared teacher in Hogwarts with a snowball – right in the face. Snape made his way over towards them menacingly, and Silver jumped up with a squeal. Then Snape did something unimaginable. He smiled. It was only for a second, but he smiled nevertheless. Harry was awestruck. He watched as Snape reached out, grabbed a squealing and protesting Silver, spun her around, and tossed her into a soft snowdrift nearby. She landed laughing uncontrollably.  
  
"Miss Riddle," he said, towering over her, "What have you to say for yourself?"  
  
She could only giggle in reply. "You...looked..._so_...funny," she gasped.  
  
Harry watched amusement flicker in Snape's eyes. "I'll bet," he replied dryly.  
  
She rolled over in the snow, clutching her sides and still laughing wildly. To Harry's surprise, Snape chuckled and shook his head. Then he turned towards Harry. He gave him a venomous and calculating look.  
  
"Scared, Potter?" he challenged.  
  
Harry gaped. Was Snape inviting him to throw things at him? Without a second thought, he grabbed a handful of snow, rolled it up, and shot it at Snape. Snape sidestepped it easily, but Harry quickly made another and caught him in the back as he turned to look at Silver. The three of them froze. Snape slowly turned around to look at Harry, his hand behind his back.  
  
"That, Mr. Potter, was an excellent show of Gryffindor bravery," he commented, although it didn't really sound like a compliment coming from him.  
  
Harry looked at him uncertainly, and a familiar smirk spread across Snape's face.  
  
"However, you have yet to witness Slytherin power," he finished.  
  
With that, he brought his hand out of behind his back, revealing a huge snowball, and chucked it at Harry. Harry didn't have a chance. It hit him smack in the face and a fresh wave of giggles came from Silver. Snape looked very pleased with himself once Harry had wiped the slush from his eyes, although he refused to smile...it was more of a satisfied smirk.  
  
For the next half hour, the three of them pelted snowballs at each other. Snape threw them at Harry with all his might, as if hoping to bruise him, but tended to toss them lightly on Silver. Harry did the same to Snape. It was a good system, or at least he thought. Silver suddenly slipped on a patch of ice, and slid into Snape's arms.  
  
"You're soaked," Snape observed, "And shivering."  
  
She nodded up at him, her curls dripping with water and snow and her cheeks pink.  
  
"Time to go inside," he announced.  
  
Silver obediently headed for the door, and he walked behind her. Harry stayed put, wondering if Snape was under the Imperius Curse or not. Although he might have simply been trying to kill him with the massive snowballs, it didn't seem that way – completely. After Snape directed Silver to take a hot shower, he turned to Harry, with the same look of loathing he always gave him – maybe without so much intensity.  
  
"Don't know the meeting of inside, Potter?" he sneered.  
  
Harry supposed that answered his question.  
  
He could see from Silver's wet footprints that she had adjourned upstairs. He, however, had been given instructions to a shower on the first floor, so he supposed he would have to do his best to find it. The people in the portraits along the way tended to creep him out as he walked. They would whisper things where the only words he could make out were "intruder", "stranger", and "destroy" – he didn't get the best feeling.  
  
Finally, he arrived at a wooden door that was relatively large. He pushed it open to reveal a bathroom that looked about as nice as the Prefects bathroom at Hogwarts. Instead of a bathtub, there was a shower, but it had many different nozzles sticking out of the wall to turn, so Harry experimented with them. He accidentally got one stuck spewing out scented blue bubbles, and by the time he had yanked it back in place, half the bathroom was full of them. The good news was that when he swished at them, they disappeared. So he spent a bit of time running around the bathroom popping bubbles, and feeling like a complete idiot, but he figured that was how he was supposed to feel in Snape's house, anyhow.  
  
After his shower, he felt a lot better – until he opened the bathroom door and turned the way he had come, only to walk into a solid wall. The pictures on the wall sniggered. Harry paused and looked at his options. There was a hallway to the left, but that was the opposite of the way he had come, and there was one that led straight ahead. He figured his best choice was to walk straight ahead and look for hallways that led to the right. Unfortunately, after minutes of walking, he came to a dead end, with a staircase to his left. When he turned around, the hallway had, of course, readjusted itself so that there was a dead end, and a hallway facing left. Stifled laughter was still coming from the pictures.  
  
Harry groaned to himself and began to walk up the staircase, which creaked. He was careful to test his foot on each one; lest there be a trick stair like the ones at Hogwarts. Finally, he reached the second floor, and, to his relief, there was a friendly-looking hallway that opened to his right. He turned down it and after walking for five minutes, still had no clue where he was. He heard a noise beyond a door to his left, and paused. He certainly didn't want to walk in on Silver showering or changing, but more importantly, he did not want to walk in on Snape doing either of those things. He scooted closer to the door and leaned sideways to press his ear against it, but no sooner had his head made contact than the door opened, causing him to stumble in and land on his side with an "Ouch!"  
  
"What are you doing up here, Potter?" Snape asked, sounding both amused and annoyed.  
  
Harry slowly got to his feet. "Uh, the hallways kept changing on me, so I came upstairs, and then I, um, got lost," he explained.  
  
"And you were eavesdropping on me _because_?" Snape asked.  
  
"Well, I wanted to make sure it wasn't Silver taking a shower or something," Harry answered.  
  
Snape gave him a calculating glance, as if deciding whether or not he was telling the truth. Then, he suddenly sniffed and smirked.  
  
"Didn't know you were such a fan of blue bubbles, Potter," he commented.  
  
Harry blushed. "Lever got stuck," he mumbled.  
  
Snape suddenly looked as if he were trying very hard not to laugh. He quickly regained his composure, however, and looked down at Harry with his usual sneer.  
  
"Very well, then, follow me," he said irritably.  
  
Harry obediently followed, and within a matter of seconds Snape had directed him to the staircase.  
  
"Go downstairs, turn left, turn right at the second hallway, and you'll come to the dining room," he directed, "The house-elves are preparing a meal."  
  
Harry nodded and headed downstairs.  
  
"And Potter?"  
  
Harry turned around to look at Snape.  
  
"If I catch you kissing her, I'll hex you," he informed him.  
  
Harry grinned. "Guess I won't get caught, then," he said, surprising himself with his boldness.  
  
Snape smirked. "It's your funeral," he replied.  
  
Harry didn't know why he was still smiling as he followed Snape's directions to the dining room – he somehow found Snape's threat funny. The image of Snape tossing Silver lightly into a snowdrift crossed his mind. Snape may still sneer at him and give him looks of hatred, but could he really be that bad? Silver had brought out something in Snape that Harry didn't think he or anybody else had ever seen coming from Snape before. The funny thing was that Snape didn't even seem to realize it. Harry wandered into the dining room absorbed in thought, and only looked at Silver after she threw a crumpled-up napkin at his head.  
  
He looked up in surprise and grinned. "Hey, beautiful," he greeted.  
  
She smiled. "Ooh, way to greet the girlfriend," she complimented him.  
  
"I thought so," he answered, sitting next to her and receiving a well- earned kiss.  
  
Snape was nowhere in sight when they parted, much to Harry's amusement. He had half expected an alarm to go off whenever anything came in contact with Silver's lips.  
  
"What are you smiling about?" she inquired.  
  
"Snape told me he'd hex me if he caught me kissing you," he answered, grinning mischievously and kissing her again.  
  
"He probably meant it," she warned.  
  
"I just won't get caught," he replied, leaning in again.  
  
She giggled as she drew away. "He's gonna catch us," she cautioned.  
  
He was about to lean in again when he distinctly heard a footstep in the distance. Immediately he straightened up. Snape walked in and observed them for a moment.  
  
"Damn you, Potter, you heard me coming," he accused.  
  
Harry grinned. "Sure did," he agreed.  
  
Snape shook his head as he sat down at the table. He opened his mouth to say something back, but was interrupted.  
  
"Language," Silver murmured warningly.  
  
Snape shut his mouth again, and Harry sniggered, earning himself a reproving glare from both of them. Harry and Snape had their glaring contest again during lunch, each attempting to see if they could intimidate the other with direct eye contact. Suddenly, Silver's fork clattered to her plate and she clapped a hand over her head.  
  
"Ouch," she whispered softly.  
  
Snape and Harry both rose. Silver tried to stand up, and fell into Harry's arms. He awkwardly picked her up and brought her away from her chair. She swayed slightly as she stood up.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't feel good," she murmured, "Not at all."  
  
Suddenly she put both hands on her head. "Oh," she said softly, "Ouch."  
  
"Your head?" Snape asked.  
  
"My head," she repeated, "It hurts. And the voices – so many voices."  
  
Snape and Harry exchanged glances. Silver suddenly pushed away from Harry. Surprised, he released her. She tried to take a step towards Snape, but fell. Snape reached out and caught her. He attempted to right her, but her knees gave way.  
  
"My name isn't flower!" she suddenly exclaimed, "Get out of my head!"  
  
"Who's in your head?" Snape asked quickly.  
  
"Voldemort," she moaned, "Get him out."  
  
Snape looked up at Harry, and then back down at Silver. It was evident he didn't know what to do.  
  
"We'll have to go to Dumbledore," he said finally.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Get him out," Silver pleaded, looking up at them with glazed eyes, "Make him leave."  
  
"We will," Snape assured her, "Don't worry."  
  
He picked her up, and Harry followed him to the fireplace. As they went, Silver cried out almost unconsciously.  
  
"I won't bow!" she cried passionately, "I won't bow!"  
  
"Go, Potter," Snape commanded.  
  
Harry obediently threw some Floo Powder into the fireplace and stepped in, ordering, "Dumbledore's Office." He heard Silver pleading with Snape once more as he left.  
  
He arrived in Dumbledore's office and searched frantically for the headmaster, who was not at his desk.  
  
"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore greeted from behind him.  
  
Harry felt a wave of relief.  
  
"It's Silver," he said.  
  
At that moment, Snape and a delirious Silver arrived. Snape looked worried, and it wasn't hard to see why.  
  
"No, shut up!" she yelled, clapping her hands to her ears, "Go away! I'm not your flower!"  
  
Dumbledore withdrew his wand in the blink of an eye.  
  
"Set her down," he commanded.  
  
Snape began to look around.  
  
"Right there," Dumbledore told him.  
  
Snape looked at Dumbledore as if he were crazy. "The floor is too hard," he argued.  
  
"Severus," Dumbledore answered warningly.  
  
Reluctantly, Snape set her down and began to walk away.  
  
"No!" she cried, "Don't leave, you have to help me! He won't go away! Please, S-"  
  
"_Silencio_!" Dumbledore cried, flicking his wand.  
  
Snape and Harry looked at Dumbledore. "She can't give away her location," he explained, "That is, assuming she hasn't already."  
  
Snape shook his head, and Dumbledore nodded. Silver clapped her hands over her ears and mouthed uselessly.  
  
"Do something, Albus," Snape said urgently.  
  
"Relax, Severus," Dumbledore replied, and then, pointing his wand at her, "_Stupefy_."  
  
Silver froze for a moment, and then collapsed onto the ground.  
  
"How is that going to help?" Snape exploded angrily.  
  
"If she can't think consciously anymore, Voldemort will lose his hold," Dumbledore answered.  
  
"What did he do?" Harry asked, looking at the unconscious Silver.  
  
"I can't say that I'm certain, Harry," Dumbledore replied, "He must have used a very powerful spell to get a hold on her mind from so far away."  
  
"Git," Harry muttered.  
  
"Do you still have that torch, Harry?" Dumbledore asked suddenly.  
  
"Yeah," Harry answered, "I put it in the box Ron gave me for my birthday."  
  
"Ah, the biting one?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"I would prefer if you carried it with you at all times," Dumbledore informed him.  
  
"Uh, okay," Harry agreed.  
  
He was going to ask why, but he knew that Dumbledore would have told him already if he was ever going to. Dumbledore walked over to Silver and stooped beside her.  
  
"_Ennervate_," he said quietly.  
  
Silver's eyes opened slowly as she sat up. Her eyes landed on Snape, and he walked up and held out his hand to her. She gratefully accepted it, and he pulled her up. For a moment the two stared at each other, as if speaking without words.  
  
"Is he gone?" Snape finally asked.  
  
She nodded and ran into his arms.  
  
"It was so scary," she whispered.  
  
Harry saw that she was shaking. Snape looked awkwardly up at Dumbledore as he patted her back stiffly. Harry had to suppress a grin. Snape was so weird.  
  
"Miss Riddle, if I may question you?" Dumbledore asked politely.  
  
Silver backed away from Snape a step and looked at him questioningly. He nodded.  
  
"All right," Silver agreed, looking at Dumbledore.  
  
"Very good," Dumbledore said, conjuring up an armchair for himself, and a couch for the other three.  
  
Much to Harry's relief, Silver sat in the middle. He looked over at her, trying to catch her eye, but she was looking at Dumbledore.  
  
"What, exactly, happened?" Dumbledore inquired curiously.  
  
"Well," Silver said, "I was eating lunch, and then all of a sudden I felt this pain in my head, and his voice...he said, 'Hello, flower'. Then I started to hear echoes in the background, but he kept talking to me. He asked me where I was and who I was with, and I wouldn't tell him. I made him really mad, and my head started to hurt more...I couldn't see where I was, I could just feel people around me. And then I felt alone, and my voice wasn't working anymore. He got really mad about that, and started yelling at me, but I couldn't talk. And then I don't know what happened."  
  
"Well, you couldn't talk because I put a Silencing Charm on you," Dumbledore told her, "And after that I stunned you."  
  
"Oh," she replied softly.  
  
"I do not know if Voldemort will try that particular spell again," Dumbledore said, "But I would advise you to be on your guard until then. I would not advise going anywhere alone for long periods of time."  
  
Silver nodded, and Dumbledore's eyes shifted to Harry.  
  
"The same to you, Harry," he said.  
  
Harry nodded as well. Dumbledore let out a deep, tired breath. Harry instantly felt sorry for him, and he saw concern well up in Silver's eyes as well. Snape looked emotionless, as usual.  
  
"Severus, what did Voldemort say during your summoning?" Dumbledore inquired.  
  
Snape looked down at Silver as if he was afraid that what he would say would damage her.  
  
"He just wanted to...let me know...that he is getting impatient for Potter," Snape said uncomfortably.  
  
Harry could only imagine what Voldemort's tactics were for letting somebody know that he was impatient.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Very well then," he said, "Anything else I should know?"  
  
Snape looked hesitantly down at Silver, and then back up at Dumbledore.  
  
"Well – he told me that I had until the end of Potter's seventh year," he said.  
  
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.  
  
"To either get Potter or kill you," Snape supplied.  
  
"What?" Silver asked.  
  
Snape looked down at her blankly.  
  
"Don't do that to me," she ordered, "What do you mean you have until the end of next year?"  
  
"That's all I have," he answered, shifting uncomfortably.  
  
"To live?" she croaked.  
  
He gave her a long look and then nodded stiffly. Silver buried her face in her hands, but didn't cry that Harry could see. Dumbledore looked calculatingly at Snape.  
  
"We will discuss this later, Severus," he said, "I think you should be getting home."  
  
Snape nodded, and he got up. Harry followed suit, but Silver stayed sitting down, her face in her hands.  
  
"Silver?" Harry tried.  
  
She took her hands away from her face, revealing that she hadn't been crying – at least not that Harry could tell. She stood up, and looked at Dumbledore.  
  
"Thank you," she said quietly.  
  
"Not a problem, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore assured her.  
  
Silver only took two steps before she fainted. Harry caught her and managed to pick her up, but he knew that he probably wouldn't be able to make it out of the fireplace still standing after being spun around by Floo Powder, so he handed her over to Snape. Snape and Silver left, and Harry turned to look at Dumbledore.  
  
"Do you think she'll be all right?" he asked.  
  
"I think that Miss Riddle is stronger than she appears," Dumbledore replied cryptically.  
  
Harry nodded. "Um, thanks," he said.  
  
Dumbledore gave him a solitary nod. "Any time, Harry, any time," he told him, "Don't forget about that torch, now."  
  
"I won't," Harry answered.  
  
He exchanged one last look with Dumbledore before flooing himself to the Snape Manor once more.


	38. The Meeting

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, people, items, ect.

**Comments:** Wowie, am I a day late with my updates? Sorry, I got back from camp a day late. But don't worry, I am not currently experiencing any form of writer's block, so you can be expecting regular chapters once more!

----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter 38 – The Meeting**  
  
Harry stayed completely silent as Snape lay Silver down on the bed in the room she had stayed in over Christmas break. He watched as Snape looked from Silver to the glowing white potion on the nightstand, and Harry knew he was wondering whether it would be better to awaken Silver or let her wake up on her own. Either way, the tears were certainly coming. Finally, Snape seemed to have come to a conclusion. He propped Silver up and uncorked the vial. Harry prepared himself. Snape allowed the contents of the vial to trickle down Silver's throat, and soon her eyes fluttered open. She acknowledged Harry with a brief glance, and then looked at Snape.  
  
"Was it a dream?" she asked hopefully.  
  
Snape shook his head, and she looked downfallen.  
  
"You can't die," she told him, "You just can't. You can hide from him."  
  
"And have the mark on my arm burn me to kingdom come?" Snape replied bitterly.  
  
Silver reached out and brought Snape's arm over to herself. She pulled up the sleeve and stared at what Harry knew was the Dark Mark. She traced it gently with her finger, and then looked up at Snape.  
  
"Voldemort wants me really badly," she said, "So you could give me to him!"  
  
Harry and Snape both did a double-take.  
  
"Then, he wouldn't kill you, or at least he would give you more time," Silver continued excitedly, "And you could say you were training me to be a spy at Hogwarts, to have me get close to Harry for you, and really you could train me to be a spy for the Light side."  
  
As she finished her idea, her eyes sparkled with pride.  
  
"I think not," Snape answered, a bit coldly.  
  
Her face fell. "Why not?" she inquired.  
  
Snape put his hands on her shoulders. "Because you will not suffer like I suffer!" he exclaimed loudly.  
  
Silver looked too surprised at the fact that he had yelled at her to say anything. Harry himself was a bit surprised at Snape's strong reaction.  
  
"I will not have you take the Dark Mark!" Snape yelled, still angry, "I will not have it!"  
  
"Okay," Silver said meekly, but Snape didn't appear to hear her.  
  
"Foolish girl, think of yourself!" he ranted, "You have no idea of what it takes to defy your own thoughts and emotions in front of the Dark Lord whilst you are being punished. No idea!"  
  
"But you could teach me," Silver protested weakly.  
  
Snape gave her a piercing glare. "I would have to torture you in order to do it," he said fiercely, "And as long as I am alive, you will not be hurt in any way, no matter what the reason."  
  
Silver's lower lip began to tremble. "But I don't want you to die," she whimpered softly.  
  
Snape looked at her for a long moment, his emotions unreadable.  
  
"We cannot always have what we want, Silver," he said finally. His voice, although still harsh, was a bit softer.  
  
A tear trickled down Silver's cheek.  
  
"Please," she begged, "You can't just let him kill you. We can be spies together. I'll do anything you want, learn anything you want. And I am thinking of myself. I want you to stay alive for a long, long time."  
  
Harry could see that she was holding back sobs.  
  
"I will not have you suffer for me," Snape told her firmly.  
  
"Then don't die!" she wailed, as the sobs surfaced.  
  
Snape looked taken aback for a moment as he looked at Silver.  
  
"Don't say such things," he told her sternly.  
  
"I...w...will...suffer...i...if...you...d...d...die!" she sobbed.  
  
"Stop it!" Snape snapped in reply, "I won't hear of it!"  
  
"Oh...yes...y...you...will," she answered, angry through her tears, "B...because...it's...t...true!"  
  
Snape looked almost offended.  
  
"Don't be foolish, child," he said.  
  
"I...c...can...be...f...foolish...i...if...I...want," she replied, "Y...you...are...too!"  
  
This time Snape definitely looked offended.  
  
"I most certainly am not," he argued.  
  
"Are...too," was her response, "I...l...love...y...you!"  
  
"Utter rubbish," Snape answered stubbornly.  
  
Silver turned and buried her face in her pillow, wailing incomprehensibly. Snape looked half confused, half angry.  
  
"A spy for the light side," he scoffed to himself, "Females!"  
  
Silver wailed something in which the words, "stubborn", "idiots", and "men" were distinguishable. Snape looked mildly amused.  
  
"I would appreciate it if you would come to your senses and have a clear conversation with me," he informed her matter-of-factly.  
  
After a minute or two, Silver managed to sniffle up her tears and turn to Snape.  
  
"Are you ready to talk?" he asked calmly.  
  
"Only if you take back what you said," she replied.  
  
"About females?" Snape asked.  
  
"No, about me loving you being utter rubbish," she answered.  
  
"It is," Snape said.  
  
Silver grabbed a pillow and hit him firmly with it. Snape looked surprised and amused.  
  
"Take it back!" she yelled at him.  
  
"Very well," he said unconvincingly, "I take it back."  
  
"You didn't mean it," she accused.  
  
"No," he agreed.  
  
"Why?" she asked, looking on the verge of tears once more.  
  
"Because," Snape answered, managing to sound as if his answer was sensible.  
  
"It's not rubbish, though," she said, "It's true."  
  
Snape didn't reply, so she continued.  
  
"Can't you please take it back and say something else?" she asked.  
  
"Such as?" Snape asked.  
  
"Well, an 'I-love-you-too' would be appropriate, seeing as you do love me," she suggested.  
  
He raised his eyebrows at her.  
  
"Don't you?" she asked.  
  
He was stubbornly silent. Her eyes began to get teary.  
  
"Don't you?" she repeated in a small voice.  
  
"Must you force me to make a fool of myself?" he demanded irritably.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Yes," he said through gritted teeth.  
  
She smiled at him for a few moments. "I'm ready to talk now," she then announced.  
  
Snape looked as if he would rather leave the room. "I'll bet you are," he muttered, glaring at her and receiving a bright smile in reply. After a couple of seconds, she tilted her head questioningly at him, looking a bit like a puppy. Harry thought it was cute.  
  
"Silver," Snape said solemnly, "I want you to promise me that you will do everything in your power never to receive the Dark Mark."  
  
Silver looked hesitant. "Not even for you?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Especially not for me," he replied.  
  
She turned away from him for a moment, looking out the window intently.  
  
"Silver, it's not worth getting tortured over," Snape told her, "Not for me, not for you."  
  
"But he would let you stay alive longer," she protested, "If I told him you had lured me into coming to him."  
  
"No," Snape replied, "He would get impatient, as he always does, and finish me off. And then you would be left with no choice but to be a spy or a Death Eater."  
  
Silver turned back to him.  
  
"Do you want to die?" she asked quietly.  
  
Snape stared back at her for a long while before responding.  
  
"I'm not sure," he finally answered.  
  
Silver leaned forward and put her arms around a very stiff and uncomfortable looking Snape. She hugged him tightly, her eyes squeezed shut behind his back.  
  
"I don't want you to die," she whispered.  
  
He didn't respond, he merely looked at her strangely when she released him, and then got up and walked out of the room. Silver turned her eyes to Harry.  
  
"Oh, Harry," she sighed.  
  
He walked up to her and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head in the process. She scooted over and motioned for him to sit down beside her. He did as requested, and they linked hands.  
  
"I don't know what to do with him sometimes," Silver said quietly.  
  
"How can he not know whether he wants to die or not?" Harry wondered aloud.  
  
Silver squeezed his hand in reply. "It's hard to explain," she answered, "But I've felt the same way."  
  
"When?" he asked.  
  
"After I met Dumbledore," she replied.  
  
"After you met Dumbledore you considered death?" Harry asked wryly.  
  
"No, Harry," she said, her voice patient, "After I met him I considered living."  
  
He looked at her questioningly.  
  
"I had nothing to live for before he gave me hope," she explained, still patient.  
  
He reached over and pulled her to him. He held her tightly for a long time before releasing her.  
  
"I'm glad you decided to live," he told her.  
  
She smiled. "Me, too, Harry," she answered.  
  
Harry pulled her to him once more and ran his fingers through her hair absentmindedly. He wondered what he would be doing right now without Silver. So much would be different – almost nothing would be the same. In a way, Silver was even responsible for getting Hermione and Ron together. Snape would still be his bitter, sarcastic self – well, okay, so he still was his bitter, sarcastic self. But not all the time. Although she didn't know it, Silver had spread happiness into the lives of many different people.  
  
"What are you thinking?" she asked him suddenly.  
  
He discovered that she was looking at him intently.  
  
"You," he replied, "Do you have any idea how amazing you are?"  
  
She looked puzzled. "I'm not amazing, Harry," she said, half chiding.  
  
He smiled at her. "You've changed a lot of lives for the better," he replied.  
  
She tilted her head, her hair falling to one side. "Me?" she repeated.  
  
"You," he answered.  
  
She looked doubtful. "I don't know, Harry," she said, looking away, "I don't think so at all."  
  
He gently turned her head back towards him.  
  
"Well, it's true," he replied.  
  
"I'm not amazing at all, though," she protested.  
  
He grinned. "You're an amazing kisser," he said playfully.  
  
She giggled. "And just how many girls have you kissed, Harry Potter?"  
  
"Enough," he answered.  
  
She raised her eyebrows at him, and he pulled her to him. He kissed her softly and briefly, but all the same meaningfully. She sighed as she drew away.  
  
"I've only ever kissed you," she said thoughtfully as she leaned her head against his chest, "But I think you're a good kisser, just the same."  
  
He couldn't help but laugh. "Hopefully that won't ever change."  
  
She smiled, eyes sparkling. "What, the fact that I've only ever kissed you, or that I think you're a good kisser?"  
  
"Both," he replied as seriously as he could.  
  
She smiled. "They won't," she assured him.  
  
Harry began to tighten his arms around her, but suddenly his scar seemed to burst with pain. The room began to get fuzzy, and he felt himself losing his grip on it. The next thing he knew he was on his hands and knees on the floor, yelling with pain.  
  
"Harry!" Silver shrieked, jumping up.  
  
He groaned and put a hand to his forehead. The room spun around him, making him feel nauseated.  
  
"What's all this racket?" Snape demanded from the doorway.  
  
"It's Harry," Silver said, sounding close to tears, "Please help him."  
  
Harry thought it mildly amusing that Silver trusted Snape to help him when Snape probably saw it as a perfect opportunity to murder him.  
  
"What is it, Potter?" Snape demanded.  
  
"Scar," he grunted, as fresh waves of pain began to wash over his head, although none as painful as the first.  
  
"Obviously," Snape answered dryly, "What about it?"  
  
"Voldemort...frustrated," Harry answered, barely able to make out the words, "Hurts...a lot."  
  
"Would you like to see Dumbledore?" Snape asked.  
  
Harry couldn't respond, for at that moment he heard a frustrated yell that came from neither Snape nor Silver, but from himself. But it wasn't his yell. Suddenly the world went black. Just before it did, he heard Silver give a concerned cry.  
  
He found himself in a cold, dark, but seemingly familiar room. He was sitting at a stone desk that was covered with half-burnt parchments, and he was more angry than he ever had been in his life. He looked at his arm, which was stretched out in a fist on the desk in front of him, and pulled up his sleeve. He gave a strangled yelp as he saw the Dark Mark.  
  
"Ah, Harry," he said pleasantly, "Here you are again. Enjoying yourself?"  
  
It took Harry only a moment to figure out that he was Voldemort – or rather, he was inside of Voldemort, somehow. He didn't reply.  
  
"So, how have you been?" he asked himself pleasantly.  
  
_That's not me that's talking_, he reminded himself, _its Voldemort_.  
  
"Very observant of you," Voldemort said dryly.  
  
_Oh great_, Harry groaned to himself.  
  
"Don't you enjoy my company?" Voldemort asked him amusedly.  
  
_No_, Harry answered silently.  
  
Suddenly an image of Silver flashed in front of his eyes. Voldemort gave a laugh.  
  
"Having fun with my little flower, Harry?" he inquired.  
  
_I don't know what you're talking about_, Harry thought furiously.  
  
"Don't tell me you don't know flower," Voldemort said, "She's a very beautiful girl. You seem to have met her before. Do you know her well?"  
  
Harry felt a gigantic force pressing on his mind, his brain. He knew Voldemort was trying to access his memories of Silver.  
  
_I...don't...know what you're talking about_, Harry repeated stubbornly, _Dumbledore just introduced her to me_.  
  
"Why do I sense a lie?" Voldemort snarled.  
  
Harry couldn't answer; he was too busy concentrating on blocking the force attempting to access his memories.  
  
"Show me!" Voldemort demanded.  
  
_There's nothing to see_, Harry thought in reply, _So go away_.  
  
"Where have you learned this?" Voldemort demanded, outraged, "Why can I not see?"  
  
_Because you're a prick_, Harry thought.  
  
Voldemort gave a cry of fury, which broke the force bearing down on Harry's mind. At the same time, an unbearable pain enfolded him, beginning at his scar and flowing through his body. He gave a near scream of pain, and felt a vibration in his pocket. Suddenly, a blinding white light filled the entire the room. Voldemort roared with anger this time.  
  
"What is this?" he demanded, "What is this?"  
  
Harry heard something fall to the floor and shatter. He was being suffocated by the light just like in the passageway, but at the same time, so was Voldemort. Voldemort's voice filled the room as he shouted out an incantation that caused the brightness of the white to fade to a mild gray. Voldemort repeated the incantation louder and louder, and Harry found that it was impossible to concentrate through the pain that Voldemort's anger made him feel. Suddenly, as if a switch had been clicked, the blinding force disappeared and he and Voldemort were alone in the cold room.  
  
"Where have you gained possession of such a weapon?" Voldemort demanded, "What is it?"  
  
There was something in his voice – fear? No, not fear...but perhaps apprehension. Voldemort was nervous about the torch...of course, he had no way of knowing that it was actually a torch. Harry suddenly felt superior.  
  
_You're scared of me_, Harry thought in reply.  
  
"I'm not any more scared of you than I am of your little schoolyard friends," Voldemort sneered in reply. The same strong invisible force began to bear down on his mind once more.  
  
_Well, then you must be pretty scared of them, then_, Harry thought back, almost teasingly, as he struggled to hold Voldemort off.  
  
"Do not tease me!" Voldemort commanded angrily.  
  
A sharp pain shot through Harry's body, and suddenly he saw before him the dark spiraling staircase where he had found the torch. He gritted his teeth and used every ounce of his willpower to push Voldemort out.  
  
"What does this mean?" Voldemort muttered to himself.  
  
_Didn't know you were in the habit of talking to yourself_, Harry thought.  
  
"Shut up," Voldemort answered irritably, "I should like nothing more than to kill you at the moment."  
  
_But you won't_, Harry answered as he fought against the force Voldemort was still pressing on his mind, _Because you need some information out of me now, don't you?_  
  
"Foolish, impertinent child," Voldemort snarled, "I shall kill you, Potter, make no mistake."  
  
_Go ahead and try_, Harry answered boastfully.  
  
Voldemort chuckled manically, and Harry suddenly felt cold. There was nothing inviting, amusing, or happy about that laugh at all. It was purely dark – not at all how a laugh was supposed to be.  
  
"Proud, are we?" Voldemort inquired, "Interesting."  
  
Harry didn't respond.  
  
"Very well, then," Voldemort said, sounding irritable once more, "You are dismissed."  
  
_Dismissed?_ Harry repeated angrily, _You can't dismiss me! You don't have any control over m...  
_  
But as he thought, the cold stone room he was in drifted out of view, and he found himself staring up at Silver, Dumbledore, Lupin, Ron, Hermione, and Snape. He sat up groggily.  
  
"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore greeted.  
  
The others looked too shocked at the fact that he was awake to do anything. Silver suddenly seemed to overcome this and let out a sob as she flew into his arms. He rubbed her back comfortingly.  
  
"You're all right," he told her.  
  
"B...but Harry, y...you...you..." she trailed off and cried into the front of his shirt.  
  
"I'm all right too," he replied, "No need to cry."  
  
She managed to sniffle up her tears, and he pulled her up into a more comfortable position in his lap. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, still breathing shakily. Harry looked up at the others, who were looking at him questioningly.  
  
"Would you mind explaining, Harry?" Dumbledore asked in a rather upbeat way.  
  
"Uh, sure..." Harry answered, glancing down at Silver, "My scar started to hurt, and, uh, I guess I blacked out, and then I kind of talked with Voldemort for a while until he sent me back here."  
  
Silver's arms tightened around his neck.  
  
"Harry," she sighed.  
  
Harry didn't get a chance to reply, because Dumbledore spoke.  
  
"Very interesting," Dumbledore commented, "And how did you and Voldemort converse?"  
  
"Well, I was in his body, and when he spoke, it felt like it was me speaking," Harry replied, "And for me to talk to him all I had to do was think what I wanted to say and he heard it."  
  
Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak, but Harry cut him off.  
  
"Oh yeah, and he tried to use Occlumency on me. He found out that I know Silver, but I just told him that you introduced her to me once. He got a bit angry when he couldn't access my memories, so my scar start to hurt again, and the torch went off, just like in the passageway. I think it might have scared him a bit at first, but he said an incantation that made it fade away, and it finally disappeared. My scar hurt so much that I couldn't call the light back. He got a glimpse of the passageway where I found the torch, but it was really dark, and he couldn't tell what it was. Then he...well, he sent me out of his mind. He told me I was dismissed, and then I just woke up."  
  
As Harry finished explaining, Dumbledore looked half worried, half interested.  
  
"Well, now, Harry, I think you handled yourself very well, considering the situation," Dumbledore replied.  
  
His gaze, however, rested on Silver. Harry immediately felt extremely guilty, and it must have shown on his face.  
  
"It's not your fault, Harry," Lupin and Hermione said at the same time.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Harry replied in a voice that clearly said that he didn't know any such thing.  
  
Silver looked up at him, her beautiful brown eyes searching his intently. At first he wanted to hide his feelings from her, but he found that it was nearly impossible.  
  
"Don't feel guilty because of me, Harry," she said, gently caressing the side of his face, "You didn't do anything wrong, and I don't want you thinking that you did."  
  
Harry was still troubled as he looked down into her sweet face. He had given Voldemort a big clue in revealing the fact that he knew her.  
  
_And I'm probably going to kill her, just like I killed Sirius_, he thought miserably.  
  
He found himself unable to meet her gaze any longer, and he turned away, his eyes and throat stinging terribly.  
  
"Harry, please look at me," Silver said pleadingly.  
  
He reluctantly turned back to her. She spoke words of comfort to him, but he didn't hear it. All he knew was that he was putting her in danger. He would give up anything for her, but what if what he really needed to give up was her? If he was no longer around her, she would probably be in less danger. And less danger was what he wanted for her. He looked at her beautiful, innocent face guiltily. Her pretty brown eyes were pleading with his, questioning him.  
  
"Harry?" she asked, "Are you listening?"  
  
"I'm putting you in danger," he finally said.  
  
"No more than I am you," she answered.  
  
"But you're more important than I am," he snapped, surprising her.  
  
"Of course I'm not, Harry," she protested.  
  
"You are too," he answered stubbornly, determination filling him, "And you don't need to be around me anymore."  
  
"Harry!" she exclaimed.  
  
_Why does she have to make this so hard_? he wondered. He gently pushed her off his lap, although it pained him to do so.  
  
"Harry, no," she whispered.  
  
He made the mistake of making eye contact with her. It nearly killed him. Her eyes swam with pain, and it seemed to swallow him in, making him unable to bear to be away from her. He used every last ounce of his willpower to make his next statement.  
  
"It's safer for you, though," he said.  
  
She shook her head. "Please?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes pleaded with him to take her into his arms and hold her.  
  
He couldn't refuse. The thought of being without her was unbearable, anyway. He reached out for her and pulled her to him. She clung to him tightly, as if she were never going to let him go. He realized how much he had affected her.  
  
"Harry, you are so upsetting sometimes," she informed him, "I hate you."  
  
Despite her words, he felt a grin forming on his face. "Really? I couldn't tell," he teased.  
  
She pulled away just enough so that she could look into his eyes. Now that she had gotten over the momentary fear of having to be away from him, she was much more confident and determined-looking. A fire seemed to be lit in her eyes as she looked at him – half loving, half reproving.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly.  
  
"Hmph," she replied.  
  
"I love you," he tried.  
  
She melted into his arms immediately. Harry sighed.  
  
"Tired?" she asked.  
  
"Yup," he replied, "Meetings with Voldemort can really wear you out, wouldn't you say?"  
  
She giggled. "Yes, I believe they do," she agreed.  
  
He looked up at Lupin, who winked at him. He smiled in reply. Hermione was smiling a silly sort of smile as she observed them, and Ron had a half questioning, half interested look on his face. Snape looked as if he were about to kill Harry but couldn't think of a way to get to him without hurting Silver. Dumbledore merely looked amused.  
  
"Very well then, Harry..." Dumbledore began, but Silver interrupted.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," she said politely, "When will Harry and I be able to come back to the castle?"  
  
Dumbledore looked surprised, and Silver quickly explained her request.  
  
"In time for the Valentines Day Ball?" she asked eagerly.  
  
Harry grinned. _Cute_, he thought.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Actually, Miss Riddle, I think that you will both be ready to come to the castle later on tonight. But right now, I am thinking that Harry needs a nap in a quiet place, and you know what you need to do."  
  
Silver nodded, and Harry was a bit confused. What did she need to do?  
  
"So you may come back tonight around eight," Dumbledore finished.  
  
Silver smiled. "Good," she said decidedly.  
  
She looked over at Harry. "You do need a nap, you know," she informed him.  
  
He smiled wryly. "Gee, thanks," he answered.  
  
She beamed up at him, and he couldn't resist bending down and placing a kiss on top of her head. Her eyes danced happily as he did so.  
  
"I love you, too," she mouthed to him silently.  
  
He grinned. No matter how long it took her to say it, he loved hearing it...or, in this case, seeing it. For a minute or so, everybody in the room just stayed and chatted with each other. Harry's eyelids began to feel heavy, and he thought that perhaps he really did need a nap. He leaned back, too drowsy to make out what it was he was leaning on, tightened his arms around Silver, and fell asleep instantly. He dreamed of his conversation with Voldemort over and over, each miniscule detail playing out in his mind once more. As he slept, he unconsciously spoke out loud the entire conversation.


	39. Questions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Comments:** I am in a very review-loving mood for no particular reason today, so I just want to thank all you wonderful reviewers! Criticism is very helpful, no matter if it bruises my ego or not! ;) Anyway, this is kind of a 'recovery' chapter, and I'm not sure if it's all that good.

-------   
Okay, so I downloaded this chapter, right? Yeah, well there were like a THOUSAND mistakes after I uploaded it, and so this is the edited version, and so if you've read this chapter before and some parts were really weird (like sentences just trailed off into nothingness...), then it's fixed now. So anyway, sorry about that, and if there are more mistakes...well, it's taken me long enough to fix all of the ones so far, so imagine something up if there are any trailing off sentences.  
------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter 39 – Questions**

Bright sunlight filtering through orange curtains awoke Harry. He squinted his eyes open and turned his head in the direction of the offending source. The sun's rays blinded him for a moment, but then, amidst the brightness, a dark silhouette became visible. A slim, flattering figure reached up and pulled the curtains all the way shut. For a moment, everything was too dark to see compared to the brightness that had awoken him, but soon his surroundings became blurredly visible. All he knew was that he was in a very orange room. The same figure that had closed the curtains came and stood beside him, speaking in soft, comforting tones that he couldn't make out for a second. A cool hand swept over his forehead and he knew who it was. He strained to hear her words, and focused on her blurry figure intently.

"...and I know you can't see me right now, Harry, and maybe you can't hear me, either, but you're going to be okay," Silver told him earnestly.

He began to make out her face. Her pretty brown eyes were obstructed with worry and concern as she looked at him. She looked as if she were about to cry at any moment. Wanting to comfort her, he tried to speak, but all that came out was a frustrated grunt. She sighed and turned away, as if it hurt her to look at him. She walked over to the corner of the room, where someone else was sitting in an armchair, reading a newspaper. As Harry focused, the room came into vision. Lupin was the person in the corner, and he looked up as Silver approached him.

"Is he getting any better?" he inquired.

"I don't think so," Silver replied, "Sometimes I think he recognizes me for a moment, but I think it's only my imagination."

Harry was puzzled. Why wouldn't he be able to recognize her? And why did she think he couldn't see or hear her?

"He'll come around," Lupin replied, "He's been quiet for a while now; that's probably a good sign."

"I hope so," Silver replied tearfully.

Harry glanced around the room. He was in Ron's room, which explained the orange. Quidditch posters hung on nearly every wall. On the nightstand beside him was a picture of Hermione, which was also looking at him with concern. He looked back at Silver and Lupin. Silver was peering down at Lupin's newspaper intently.

"You do realize that you're reading yesterday's newspaper?" she inquired.

Lupin's eyes flew to the top of the page.

"Ah," he said unconvincingly, "Of course."

Silver giggled and glanced downwards. She stooped and picked up another edition of the Daily Prophet.

"Here it is," she announced, handing it to him.

Lupin sheepishly put down the paper he was reading and reached for it, when Silver gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth. The paper fell out of her hands and clattered to the floor.

"What is it?" Lupin asked, "Why..."

He trailed off as his eyes landed on the paper.

Harry's vision had returned in full by now, and he felt much more aware of his surroundings than he had previously. He sat up, but neither of the two noticed. Lupin had picked up the paper and both of them were reading something intently.

"Oh," Silver said softly, looking up at Lupin.

He read for a few more seconds and then returned her gaze.

"What's going on?" Harry inquired.

Silver and Lupin both jumped about three feet into the air as they looked at him.

"You see us," Lupin commented.

"Uh, yeah," Harry agreed uncertainly.

Silver began to go into transports of delight.

"Harry!" she squealed, rushing up and tackling him in a hug that nearly made him fall backwards, "Oh, Harry, do you really see me? And hear me, can you hear me too?"

She pulled away to look into his eyes hopefully.

"Yup, sure do," he confirmed.

She gave a sort of happy squeal and enfolded him in another hug.

Lupin looked somewhere between elation and shock. Harry looked at him questioningly over Silver's shoulder. Lupin suddenly jumped up and threw open the door.

"Harry's back!" he yelled down the stairs.

Harry heard a sort of cheering, and then Mrs. Weasley's voice. "Arthur, go inform everyone!"

He heard a pounding up the stairs, and the next moment, Mrs. Weasley burst in. Silver drew away from him, allowing Mrs. Weasley to give him one of her strangling hugs. When she released him, her eyes were bright. She took his head in her hands and tousled his hair affectionately as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"There now, Harry," she said, "There now."

Harry was a bit confused by all the fuss everyone was making. He heard more footsteps, and Mr. Weasley appeared in the room. Harry turned to look at him, and a huge grin spread across Mr. Weasley's face.

"Atta boy, Harry, atta boy!" he exclaimed, patting Harry heartily on the back.

Harry was very confused this time.

"Why is everyone so happy?" he asked, "And why am I here? What's going on?"

Slowly, everyone's smiles faded. He looked at each of them in turn, and finally turned to Lupin. Lupin's face contorted with some unreadable emotion and he turned away from Harry's gaze.

"Don't you remember, Harry?" Silver asked quietly, "Don't you remember your dreams?"

He looked at her blankly. "Dreams?" he echoed.

Silver's eyes began to tear. "Oh, Harry," she sighed.

"What dreams?" he insisted.

"You kept talking, Harry," Silver said, "You just kept talking."

She reached her hand up to brush a tear away. "Remus," she said pleadingly.

Lupin cleared his throat, and Harry looked over at him. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley filtered out of the room quietly.

"Well, you were talking in your sleep," Lupin informed him, "It sounded like you were repeating every conversation you ever had with Voldemort. And you...you were talking to..."

He broke off, the pain in his voice causing him to trail off.

"Who?" Harry asked, "Who was I talking to?"

Lupin turned away, looking tortured by Harry's question.

"Oh, Harry, it was Sirius," Silver said, furiously wiping at tears that were forming in her eyes.

Harry froze. "What do you mean?" he asked finally.

Silver shook her head. "You opened your eyes, Harry, and you talked to him like he was standing right beside you," she said shakily, "No matter if it was me standing there, or Dumbledore, or Remus, or nobody at all, you just kept talking to Sirius."

"What did I say?" Harry asked. "I don't know," Silver said, "I made everyone leave because it sounded personal, and I left, too. Remus stayed, though. He knows."  
  
Harry looked at Lupin, who looked back at him miserably. Silver placed a hand on Harry's head for a moment and then quietly left the room.  
  
"I was talking to Sirius?" Harry repeated.  
  
"You were," Lupin confirmed.  
  
"What was I saying?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Everything," Lupin said, "You told him how you felt about everything, all your frustrations, all your guilt, just everything."  
  
Harry was quiet for a moment. He strained his memory, but he could not, for the life of him, remember what had happened after he fell asleep. He didn't remember ever opening his eyes, and he definitely didn't remember talking to Sirius.  
  
"You know, Harry," Lupin said, interrupting his thoughts, "You feel guilty for a lot of things you shouldn't. The weight of the world doesn't have to rest on your shoulders."  
  
Harry thought of the prophecy, and looked down. "Yes it does," he replied.  
  
"No, Harry," Lupin answered, "I know about the prophecy."  
  
Harry's head shot up. "What do you mean, you know about the prophecy?" he demanded.  
  
"You told me – I mean, you told Sirius about it," Lupin answered uncomfortably.  
  
Harry felt as if a brick had been dropped on his head. "Oh," he said dumbly.  
  
"Harry, although you are the only one who can defeat Voldemort, you have to realize that there are many people who will support you and help you in any way possible," Lupin told him, "You don't have to train yourself to defeat him, and you don't have to keep your emotions bottled up inside of you."  
  
Harry looked up at Lupin silently, considering the man before him. Lupin's face was unfairly aged – he looked much to weary for a man in his late twenties. But Lupin had undergone many losses and disappointments, of that Harry was sure. It couldn't be easy, being a werewolf, not to mention losing all your closest friends.  
  
"Harry," Lupin said, "I know I'm not Sirius, but you can talk to me anytime you want. Not that I'm forcing you or anything, I just want you to know that I'm here." "Yeah, I know," Harry answered, "But it's hard to start talking."  
  
He studied the bed he was sitting on as if it were the most interesting thing he had ever seen. He was very unnerved by the fact that he was talking to his dead godfather in his sleep, and that he couldn't remember any of it. He looked up at Lupin, who was looking at him with a mixture of sympathy and sadness.  
  
"Did I – did I say anything about him being dead?" Harry finally asked.  
  
"You told him that it was all your fault, and that you're afraid you're going to end up killing other people that you love," Lupin answered disapprovingly, "Neither of which are true."  
  
"But it is my fault," Harry answered, "I took everyone on a wild goose chase. And it ended up in Sirius' death. And who's to say it won't happen again?"  
  
"It's not your fault, Harry!" Lupin exclaimed, his voice rising a notch, "How is it your fault that Voldemort sent you a vision, and you believed it? You had no way of knowing, and you did a brave and noble thing in going to rescue Sirius!"  
  
"But it wasn't so noble when Sirius ended up dead, was it?" Harry yelled back, his temper flaring.  
  
"Absolute trash!" Lupin raged, sounding a bit like Snape, except calmer, "Sometime in your life you are going to have to face the fact that everything that happens in life doesn't happen because of you!"  
  
Harry stopped, momentarily stunned. The way Lupin said it, it made Harry seem   
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" he sputtered.  
  
"It means that you have to stop thinking that you are the center of everything that happens," Lupin answered, "Sirius came because he _wanted_ to, Harry, not because you forced him to. He came because he cared about you, damn it, and that's nothing you could help!"  
  
"Well why did he have to care so much?" Harry roared, noting how ridiculous it sounded and not caring in the least.  
  
Lupin looked for a moment as if he were going to laugh, but then regained his seriousness. "He didn't have to, Harry, he wanted to," he replied.  
  
Harry sat silently for a moment, letting his temper die down. He stared at the bed once more. _Why does this all have to happen to me?_ he wondered.  
  
"I wish I were someone else," he finally said, "I just want to live a normal, Voldemort-free life for a while."  
  
"If you hadn't gone through everything you have, you wouldn't have half the things that make you happy today," Lupin replied.  
  
"Yeah, but I would be happy with other things," Harry answered.  
  
"Would you be so happy without Silver?" Lupin inquired, "Or without Ron and Hermione as your best friends?"  
  
Harry thought about this for only a moment. "No," he finally replied, "But wouldn't all the other things I would have keep me happy?"  
  
"Is Ron completely happy?" Lupin answered, "Even with his family and home?"  
  
Harry reluctantly shook his head. "He thinks it's cool to be me," Harry answered.  
  
"I think he would change his mind if he were you," Lupin said wisely, "But as you can see, nobody has a perfectly happy life all the time."  
  
Harry supposed it made a bit of sense.  
  
"Maybe," he answered.  
  
They were both silent for a while; Harry carefully avoiding Lupin's gaze most of the time. He half wanted to tell Lupin everything he felt, and half wanted to go back to sleep.  
  
"Remus!" somebody called up the stairs, "We want to visit Harry!"  
  
"Come on up!" Lupin called back down.  
  
The next second it sounded as if a stampede of hippogriffs was headed their way. Harry exchanged a worried glance with Lupin. The door flung open and what looked like every member of the Order minus Dumbledore burst in, plus Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, and Charisma. Snape and Silver were both absent, and Harry imagined that Silver was trying to coax him to come and say hi to Harry. He figured she would probably have to drag him forcefully up the stairs. For a few minutes he was enfolded in hugs, pats on the back, and words of encouragement and happiness. When Hermione hugged him he was able to barely make out over her shoulder a picture of Tonks and Lupin hugging. Lupin caught his eye, and Harry raised his eyebrow at him. He turned away, and Harry grinned.  
  
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione inquired as she pulled away.  
  
"Ah, nothing," he replied.  
  
Just then Snape appeared in the doorway, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else. He made eye contact with Harry warily.  
  
"Hello," he said stiffly.  
  
"Hi," Harry answered.  
  
Snape walked out of the room once more, much to Harry's amusement. After a few moments, Silver came into the room, looking a bit tentative. She looked at him as if she were afraid he might break at any moment, and he smiled reassuringly at her. A smile spread over her face, and she walked up to him. Their eyes met, and he saw concern and relief in her eyes. He wasn't quite sure what she saw in his, because he had too many emotions at the moment for them all to be showing in his eyes, he was sure. He realized that everyone was watching them, and he pulled her down beside him. Instantly conversation started up again.  
  
"Are you really all right, Harry?" she whispered, her head resting on his shoulder.  
  
"Sure," he replied.  
  
She gave a shaky sigh. "You really scared me, Harry," she informed him.  
  
"Sorry," he replied, rubbing up and down her arm.  
  
He looked around at the orangeness of Ron's room.  
  
"So, uh, why'd they bring me here?" he inquired.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let them bring you anywhere else," Silver answered, smiling.  
  
"Ah," Harry replied, grinning and looking at Mrs. Weasley, who was conversing with Kingsley, Tonks, and Lupin.  
  
He pulled Silver closer and wondered if she would mind if he kissed her in front of everybody – not that anybody was watching at the moment. He glanced down at her, and she looked up at him. A grin spread across his face as he did so.  
  
"You wanna kiss me, dontcha?" he asked amusedly.  
  
"Wherever did you get such an idea?" she replied indignantly, but she, too, was smiling.  
  
He bent down towards her, and for a moment she looked as if she were going to resist, but at the last moment she reached her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. Waves of relief and contentness washed through him as he kissed her. The world and all the problems in it fell away, to be replaced with feelings of happiness, with a faint trace of longing. He pulled away slightly and looked down at her. Her brown eyes looked into his emerald ones, and the longing was intensified. Harry didn't know or care if anybody was watching, and Silver appeared to be thinking along the same lines as they tightened their hold on each other for another kiss. Harry didn't allow her to draw away in the least, not that she was trying to. He felt a light tap on the side of his head, and Lupin's voice filtered through the world they were in.  
  
"Let's try and keep this appropriate, kids," he said warningly.  
  
Harry reluctantly allowed Silver to fall back through his arms and away from him. Silver relaxed in his arms for only a moment before withdrawing completely. His brow furrowed as he looked at her. Her eyes were easy to read. She was embarrassed – embarrassed at kissing him in front of all those people. He didn't really see what it mattered, but apparently it was important to her.  
  
"Oh Harry," she said, sounding only half frustrated, "Why do you have to do that?"  
  
"What?" he replied.  
  
Silver glanced around warily to make sure no one was watching before replying. "You kissed me in front of all these people," she accused.  
  
"And you played absolutely no part in it?" he asked, grinning and raising an eyebrow at her.  
  
She blushed profusely. "Well, it's mostly your fault, and you know it," she answered.  
  
"Alright, I'm sorry," he apologized, not meaning it in the least.  
  
She smiled. "Yes, I can tell by the look on your face," she answered sarcastically.  
  
He grinned mischievously. "Okay, I'm not sorry at all, is that better?" he inquired.  
  
"Very much," she replied.  
  
He reached for her, but she batted his hands away. "No you don't!" she said, scooting away from him.  
  
He drew back disappointedly and observed her with amusement. She stood up and looked around the room.  
  
"He's not here," Harry told her.  
  
She sighed. "I know," she said, "I was just hoping maybe he came back."  
  
"Yeah, fat chance," Harry answered, "Anyway, if he had I'd probably be dead for kissing you right now."  
  
She giggled. "You're probably right," she admitted.  
  
He looked up at her, silently dreading what he knew was going to happen next – she was going to leave to go look for Snape.  
  
"You don't have to go and get him," he coaxed, "If he wanted to be up here, he would be."  
  
"He's all alone right now, though," she answered.  
  
"So?" Harry replied, "He likes to be alone."  
  
Silver shot him a reproving glance.  
  
"And when did he tell you that?" she asked.  
  
He shrugged. "Well, it just seems like he does," he said.  
  
For a moment Silver looked as if she were going to be mad at him, but she stopped. She came and sat down beside him on the bed.  
  
"I know how you feel about him, Harry, and I know how he treats you," she said, "But he's all alone right now and you have this entire room full of people who love and care about you. The reason he doesn't want to be up here is because he doesn't have that, and it makes him uncomfortable. He just has me."  
  
"Well, you'd better go get him then," he answered, still disappointed.  
  
She smiled and kissed him softly. "Thanks, Harry," she whispered.  
  
He was still enjoying the feel of having her lips brush against his when she disappeared. He sighed. He would have liked to have her all to himself for just a few more minutes. He glanced over at Ron, who looked as if he were speaking some sort of mush to a beaming and blushing Hermione, and gave him a shove.  
  
"Ah!" Ron exclaimed, "What was that for?"  
  
"Quit the mush and talk to me," he answered.  
  
"You don't mind when it's your mush," Ron answered.  
  
"No, I don't," Harry agreed, "But hopefully you're not going to give me any mush."  
  
Ron blushed and Hermione giggled.  
  
"Where's Silver?" she inquired.  
  
"Three guesses," Harry answered, sarcasm lacing his voice.  
  
"The stupid git again," Ron said, "Why does she always..."  
  
"Because she's all he has, Ron," Hermione interrupted impatiently.  
  
Harry looked at her in amazement. "That's exactly what she said," he groaned.  
  
"Well, it's true," Hermione replied, giving them a patronizing look.  
  
They looked at each other and rolled their eyes, earning them a disapproving "Tut!" from Hermione.  
  
Fred, George, and Ginny all came and joined them.  
  
"Silver gone to fetch the grumpy git?" Fred asked, sounding as if he were making polite conversation.  
  
"Yup," Ron confirmed.  
  
"Figures," George said, shrugging, "So, you feeling okay, Harry?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," Harry answered, aware that all of his friends were currently giving him extremely hard stares.  
  
"We came to visit you once or twice," Fred said.  
  
"But you were talking to Voldemort, and then you would put on this really deep voice and be Voldemort talking back to yourself..." George trailed off.  
  
"I don't remember a thing," Harry admitted, "It was probably a weird side- effect of talking with Voldemort."  
  
Everyone began to look frightened for Harry's life.  
  
"Yes, I spoke with Voldemort," Harry confirmed, causing them to jump, "It's probably going to happen again, so I guess I'll just have to get used to it."  
  
"I don't think so," Ron replied, "You didn't see Dumbledore – he went ballistic. If that ever happened again, I think he would work himself up so much that he would drop dead on the spot."  
  
Harry grinned. "He was that mad?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Oh yes, Harry," Hermione said, "And for a good reason! It was really scary watching you talk and move with your eyes open, like you were having a real conversation. I don't know how Silver stayed almost the whole time, except when you were..."  
  
She trailed off, suddenly looking fearful.  
  
"Talking to Sirius," Harry finished, "Yeah. I just wish I could remember something. I don't remember any weird dreams or...anything."  
  
Everyone was silent for a few seconds.  
  
"Well, here's Silver," George offered suddenly, looking up.  
  
"And her bodyguard," Fred added.  
  
Silver and Snape had entered the room, and Silver had fixed Lupin with a pleading look. Lupin obediently walked up to Snape and began to make conversation, although Snape looked as if he were going to begin randomly hexing people at any given moment. For a second Silver stayed by his side, and then she tugged at his sleeve and stood on her tiptoes to tell him something. He gave a stiff nod, and she walked over to them.  
  
"Hey, princess," George greeted.  
  
She smiled at both him and Fred. "Hi, guys," she answered.  
  
The three of them exchanged a significant glance, which bothered Harry a bit, but he didn't comment. Suddenly, all the talking in the room ceased. Everybody looked towards the doorway, where Dumbledore was standing and looking rather imperial. He looked at Harry for a long while before acknowledging him.  
  
"Hello, Harry," he greeted.  
  
"Hi," Harry answered.  
  
Dumbledore looked around the room, and everybody in it immediately headed for the door. Silver lingered behind until she, Harry, and Dumbledore were the only people left in the room. She and Dumbledore exchanged a meaningful glance. She turned to Harry and hugged him tightly.  
  
"See you later, sweetie," she said quietly.  
  
She kissed him gently, and within the kiss Harry sensed a promise of more to come, but she drew away and left the room, shutting the door behind her.  
  
Harry turned to face Dumbledore, who sat down and motioned for Harry to sit across from him.  
  
"I suppose you have a lot of questions for me," Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Ask away," Dumbledore answered.  
  
Harry took a deep breath and began.


	40. The Difference

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Comments:** Ooh, the big four-oh. Wish I could say this will be an exceptionally special chapter, but I'm thinking no. Okay, so somebody mentioned that I should do a response to my reviews...so I was thinking maybe I would reply to them at the end of each chapter? What do you think – yes, or no? And also, somebody mentioned that I was dragging the story out too long. Sorry! -wince- I have writing fever! I kind of agree though, it is a bit...much. I'm planning on having the story wrapped up by the next –counts on fingers- four chapters or so. I'm not completely sure, but it'll be somewhere around there. Anyway...review, review, review, I need your guys' opinions! Oh and for those of you whose questions I haven't answered (that are about the plot of this story and such), they will either be answered in this chapter or the ones to come...I think!

-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter 40 – The Difference**  
  
Harry's mind was reeling as he faced Dumbledore. Over the past hour, he had told Dumbledore much more than he wanted to, and Dumbledore had told him much more than he wanted to know. He averted his eyes from Dumbledore, wanting more than anything to be somewhere...anywhere...else.  
  
"Any more questions, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
_What a stupid question_, Harry thought, _Of course there are more questions. There's always more bloody questions_. He put his hands to his forehead and rubbed as he thought.  
  
"Uh, the torch," he finally said, "What is it?"  
  
Dumbledore was silent about two seconds too long, and Harry looked up at him curiously. Dumbledore was surveying him quietly and calculatingly over the rims of his glasses.  
  
"I don't think you are ready to know," Dumbledore said finally.  
  
Harry just about exploded.  
  
"Why the bloody hell not?" he yelled, jumping up out of his chair, "It's my bloody torch, and I deserve to know!"  
  
"Sit down, Harry," Dumbledore told him calmly.  
  
Fuming, Harry sat, eyeing Dumbledore with intense dislike.  
  
"And you will please watch your language," Dumbledore added.  
  
_Watch my bloody language_, Harry thought furiously, _Why should I bloody watch my bloody language?  
_  
"I don't think you are ready to know," Dumbledore continued, "Because you have very much to think over already."  
  
"Well, you asked if I had any more questions," Harry pointed out.  
  
"Indeed I did," Dumbledore admitted gravely, "I was hoping for an easier question."  
  
How hard can it be to tell me what the stupid torch is? Harry wondered.  
  
Dumbledore seemed to read his mind. "It involves more than you think, Harry – more than you think."  
  
"Yeah, okay," Harry said, looking in the other direction and willing himself not to scream with frustration.  
  
Dumbledore was silent, which added to Harry's aggravation. He finally turned a menacing glare in his direction, which seemed to amuse him more than anything else.  
  
"Ready to be done, Harry?" he inquired politely.  
  
"Yes," Harry muttered through clenched teeth.  
  
Dumbledore nodded to him and walked to the door, but he stopped after opening it and turned back to Harry.  
  
"I will always be available to you, Harry," Dumbledore said quietly.  
  
Harry's anger died down a bit, but not completely.  
  
"Thanks," he muttered.  
  
Frustrated, he took the torch out of his pocket and stared at it intently.  
  
"What are you?" he demanded loudly.  
  
It gave a small burst of light, but otherwise stayed silent. He raised his hand to throw it, but thought the better of it and shoved it in his pocket.  
  
"Stupid bloody torch, don't know why I carry it around," he muttered, "I could know why, but no, I'm not 'ready'."  
  
Harry heard footsteps, and quickly walked to the door, shut it, and locked it. He then plopped down on Ron's bed, staring at the ceiling in complete and utter frustration. He heard the doorknob turn.  
  
"Harry?" came Hermione's tentative voice.  
  
"Go away," he growled.  
  
"We just want to make sure you're okay," she argued.  
  
"No you don't," he roared, "You want to find out what Dumbledore told me! Well guess what? I'm not going to tell you a bloody thing!"  
  
"Watch your language, Harry!" Silver exclaimed.  
  
"Are you telling me that after all that just happened you're worried about my language?" Harry asked incredulously.  
  
"Well...yes," Silver said hesitantly.  
  
"You're insane," Harry declared.  
  
"I'm sorry, Harry," she answered sincerely.  
  
He closed his eyes and let out a silent sigh, pressing his fingers into his temples.  
  
"I'm not mad at you, so you have no reason to apologize," he said frustratedly.  
  
"Sorry," she replied.  
  
"Stop saying you're sorry!" he yelled.  
  
"Sor...I mean, okay," she said.  
  
He couldn't help but be mildly amused.  
  
"Are you hungry, Harry?" she asked timidly.  
  
"No," he replied harshly. His stomach protested immediately with a large growl. He rolled his eyes. "Um, I meant to say yes," he admitted.  
  
He heard a smile in her voice as she replied. "Alright, would a sandwich be good? And some crisps and lemonade?"  
  
He didn't think he had heard such a good idea in his entire life. "Yup," he answered.  
  
She cleared her throat pointedly.  
  
"Please," he added grudgingly.  
  
He heard fading footsteps, and added at a yell, "And I only want you to bring it!"  
  
At this he heard many complaints, but Silver called back, "Alright!"  
  
He settled back onto the bed and closed his eyes. Out of all the questions he had asked Dumbledore, he had forgotten to ask him how long he had been without food. The mere thought of it made him hungrier than he ever had been in his life. He groaned and rolled over. He hoped Silver was bringing him a very big sandwich. As he was imagining how good it would taste, he heard a soft knock at the door. He jumped out of bed, leapt for the door, and yanked it open. Silver awarded him with a smile and a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Hungry?" she asked in a mock-innocent tone.  
  
She presented him with a tray that had three full sandwiches, a mountain of crisps, and a very large glass of lemonade. He took it thankfully and stuffed a bite of sandwich in his mouth as he took it back to the bed. She closed the door and then perched lightly across from him and the tray, watching him with undisguised amusement.  
  
"How long has it been since I've eaten?" he inquired.  
  
She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Two and a half days," she announced.  
  
He nearly spit out a mouthful of crisps, but caught himself.  
  
"Oo an calf ays?" he repeated through the mouthful.  
  
She cringed and put her hands in front of her eyes. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Harry!" she chided.  
  
He swallowed and gave her a grin before continuing to eat.  
  
"Yes, two and a half days," she confirmed, "We managed to get some soup down you yesterday, but that was it."  
  
"Well, that explains why..." he paused in order to take a bite, chew it, and swallow it, "...I'm starved."  
  
"Mm-hmm," she agreed.  
  
She fell back onto the bed and lay with her hands on her stomach. Hungry though he was, Harry paused for a moment to appreciate her. She looked so vulnerable – so perfect. He took a slow bite, finishing his second sandwich, and observed how at peace she seemed. She turned to look at him, and he stopped chewing.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
He gulped his bite down. "Nothing," he answered, picking up his third sandwich and averting his gaze elsewhere.  
  
He felt her gaze rest on him for a while longer, but then she turned to look up at the ceiling once more. He resumed watching her as he finished his lunch. Finally, feeling very full, he stretched back onto the bed himself, perpendicular to her.  
  
"How are you, Harry?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.  
  
"Fine," Harry answered automatically.  
  
He glanced down at her to see that she was looking at him disbelievingly.  
  
"Okay, maybe not," he admitted, "I'm just frustrated, that's all. I don't know how I could talk to my dead godfather in my sleep and not remember it. And Dumbledore won't tell me what the bl...stupid torch is."  
  
Silver sighed – but the sigh wasn't for herself, it was for him. He sensed this and looked down at her with a mixture of surprise and gratitude.  
  
"I wish I could help, Harry," she said, "Somebody has to defeat Voldemort, you know..."  
  
She trailed off, leaving Harry feeling uncomfortable. She didn't know about the prophecy.  
  
"Yeah, about that," he said awkwardly, "Well, um, it's going to be me."  
  
She looked over at him. "What do you mean, it's going to be you?" she demanded.  
  
"It has to be me," Harry answered, "Me or nobody. It's in the prophecy."  
  
"Prophecy?" she echoed.  
  
"Yeah...the prophecy."  
  
Harry took a deep breath and proceeded to tell her about the prophecy. He even recited it, word-for-word, out loud, for the first time since he had heard it. He felt that she had a right to know. As he explained it, she crawled over to his side and laid her head against his chest. When he finished, she gave a shaky sigh.  
  
"Oh, Harry," she murmured against his chest.  
  
"I'll be all right," he assured her.  
  
"I know you will," she said, "I just wish you didn't have to...to...well, Voldemort."  
  
Harry chuckled. "You just wish I didn't have to Voldemort?" he repeated.  
  
"You know what I mean," she said, raising her head and looking into his eyes.  
  
He looked down at her and was surprised at the intensity of what she was letting him see. She was scared and concerned more so than he had ever seen her before – or at least that he had ever seen her let on.  
  
"So serious," he commented, "I was making a joke."  
  
"But it's not funny," she said tearfully.  
  
He stroked her hair gently. "I'm not planning on losing," he informed her.  
  
Her lower lip trembled ever so slightly. "What if you do?" she whispered.  
  
He pulled her down to him and wrapped his arms around her. "It's not even an option," he answered.  
  
Her breath was shaky, and he rubbed her back until she calmed. After a few minutes, she pulled back and looked at him, looking much less scared than she previously had.  
  
"You had better not be thinking that you have to do everything all by yourself," she told him.  
  
He chuckled. "You and Moony should start a club," he informed her.  
  
"Well, you're always acting like you have to take everything on yourself, and you don't, Harry! We want to help you," she insisted.  
  
Harry's smile suddenly dimmed. "Yeah, Sirius wanted to help me," he pointed out, "And a lot of good that did him."  
  
He turned away from her, feeling a wave of pain in his chest.  
  
"Harry, it won't turn out that way for everybody," she told him.  
  
"Maybe not," he agreed, "But what if it's you that it does? Or Moony? Or Ron or Hermione? I couldn't stand that, Silver."  
  
"Well then you're practically admitting defeat already!" Silver replied, "Harry, we're all perfectly aware of the risks!"  
  
"Well then you're all perfectly insane!" Harry answered, his voice rising.  
  
"No, you're perfectly insane!" Silver exclaimed, "Sacrifices are going to have to be made, Harry, and its-"  
  
She stopped as he sat up and grabbed her by the shoulders.  
  
"You...will...not...be...sacrificed," he growled, his face inches from hers.  
  
She looked at a loss for second, but quickly regained her composure.  
  
"I will if I want to, and there's no stopping me," she answered stubbornly.  
  
He let go of her and gaped in amazement.  
  
"So you're telling me in advance that you're going to kill yourself for me?" he yelled.  
  
"No, I'm telling you that I'm willing to," she replied.  
  
"You're impossible," he declared.  
  
"_You're_ impossible," was her retort.  
  
He turned to the side, facing away from her. _Too stubborn for her own good_, he growled silently to himself.  
  
"Harry?" she ventured suddenly.  
  
"What?" he asked stonily.  
  
"Are you...mad at me?" she inquired.  
  
It took all of his willpower to ignore the pleading in her voice.  
  
"Yes," he answered.  
  
"I'm really sorry, but-"she began.  
  
"I thought I told you to stop saying sorry," he snapped.  
  
"Oh," she said weakly.  
  
There was silence for a moment, and just as he was about to tell her that he wasn't really mad at her, she spoke.  
  
"I love you," she offered.  
  
He was shocked into silence. He had heard her say it before, but always at least forty-five seconds after him, and always hesitantly. Never, _never_, had she presented him with those three, wonderful, words so confidently. He turned to look at her, still in complete shock. He was jerked back to his senses by the fact that her eyes began to tear.  
  
"Sorry," she said tearfully, "I just thought...I just..."  
  
She turned away, and Harry realized why. He tackled her in a hug that sent them both sprawling down onto the bed. He kissed her fervently on the way down – her neck, her forehead, and then her lips.  
  
"Harry, what-"she began as he drew away.  
  
"I love you," he murmured into her neck.  
  
She let out a breath of relief. He pulled away from her and looked down into her eyes.  
  
"I didn't mean to keep you waiting," he apologized, "But you kind of took me by surprise."  
  
He paused to kiss her nose affectionately.  
  
"You've never exactly – ah – well..." he paused, trying to think of a way to say it nicely.  
  
"Said it first," she finished for him.  
  
"Yeah," he agreed, kissing her neck once more, "Why'd you do it?"  
  
He returned his rapt attention to her neck, although he was still listening for her reply.  
  
"Well, it was – stop it, Harry, you're distracting me – it seemed like the perfect time, didn't it?"  
  
"Mmm," Harry answered, nipping at her ear.  
  
"Harry!" she exclaimed, pushing him a fair few inches away from her.  
  
He grinned, but then paused to consider her question. "Not really," he said decidedly.  
  
He began to lower his head back down to her ear – or her neck...whichever his lips reached first, but stopped when he saw how shocked she looked.  
  
"It wasn't?" she asked, "How?"  
  
"Well, uh...we were kind of having a fight," he said.  
  
"Exactly," she said, as if it made perfect sense, "And now we're not fighting anymore, are we?"  
  
He grinned mischievously. "Nope," he agreed, bending down once more.  
  
She rolled away from him, much to his annoyance.  
  
"What is it?" he demanded.  
  
"It was the perfect time, wasn't it?" she persisted.  
  
He sighed at the determined look on her face and knew he was not going to be able to get near her until they had successfully discussed the fact that it was definitely the perfect time for her to say it.  
  
"Any time is the perfect time," he answered.  
  
She looked shocked that he would think such a thing. "But no, because then it's not a special time!" she protested.  
  
"Hearing you tell me that you love me makes it a special time," he replied.  
  
She seemed to consider his words for a moment, and then she smiled dreamily. "Really?" she asked.  
  
"Truly," he confirmed, beginning to edge his way towards her.  
  
She scooted further away and eyed him suspiciously. He gave her the most innocent grin he could manage and began to quicken pace. She scooted further and her eyes widened as she realized that she had reached the edge of the bed.  
  
"Harry," she squealed.  
  
"Silver," he mimicked in a high voice.  
  
She giggled and allowed him to pull her close. He didn't kiss her, but paused to look into her face before he did so. He took in everything about her that he could, from her scent to the loving, anticipating look in her eyes. She seemed to be doing the same. Neither of them heard the sound of the door opening, or footsteps behind them. Harry began to lean closer, when suddenly a shadow passed over them. Silver's eyes widened as she looked up. _Please be Lupin_, Harry thought fervently, _Or Ron, or Hermione...or Ginny! Yes, Ginny, she's harmless._ However, the shadow was far too tall for Ginny. _Dumbledore_, Harry thought frantically, _It could be Dumbledore. Or...Kingsley, he's tall. Mr. Weasley is kind of tall, yes, Mr. Weasley, he has a tall shadow. Please, just anyone but..._  
  
He was suddenly grasped by the back of his collar, yanked up, and pushed forwards harshly. He used the wall to break his fall, and spun around to find himself looking into Snape's enraged face. Snape raised his wand, looking as if he were about to kill Harry on the spot.  
  
"Stop it!" Silver exclaimed.  
  
Snape's wand was a few inches away from Harry's throat. It wavered there at Silver's command. Harry fumbled in his pockets only to find, to his horror, that he was wandless.  
  
"Put your wand down," Silver said.  
  
Snape lowered his wand a few inches. _Great_, Harry thought, _Now he's aiming at my heart_. Snape looked at him with utmost loathing.  
  
"I've had enough of you, Potter," he growled, "You are completely out of bounds. You...you..."  
  
"He hasn't done anything!" Silver defended.  
  
"He put you in a _compromising position_!" Snape roared.  
  
"No he didn't," Silver argued.  
  
Snape turned to her, eyes blazing.  
  
"He was _on top_ of you, in a _bed_," Snape thundered.  
  
Silver blushed profusely. "You don't have to let the whole house know!" she exclaimed, "And he wasn't doing anything – we weren't even kissing!"  
  
"And that matters?" Snape hissed.  
  
"Yes!" she exclaimed.  
  
Snape opened his mouth to argue, but was interrupted by a very, very welcome voice.  
  
"Ah, Severus, here you are," Lupin greeted brightly from the doorway.  
  
Snape poked his wand into Harry's throat as he turned to look at Lupin.  
  
"Dumbledore has requested to see you," Lupin informed him, "He says it's urgent."  
  
Snape looked from Lupin to Harry and back to Lupin again. Slowly, he drew his wand away from Harry's throat. He looked at Harry and with a very twisted sneer, announced, "We'll finish up this little...talk...later."  
  
With that, he stormed out of the room.  
  
For a moment the three just looked at each other, before Lupin cleared his throat. Harry and Silver both turned to look at him.  
  
"Ah, Silver, I believe you are needed in the, uh..." Lupin trailed off uncertainly, "Downstairs."  
  
"Oh, I see," Silver answered sarcastically, smiling amusedly, "Smooth, Remus."  
  
Lupin grinned. "I thought so," he agreed as she walked past him.  
  
Lupin turned to Harry and raised his eyebrows, a more serious expression on his face. "Compromising position?" he asked.  
  
Harry blushed. "No," he said immediately, "I mean...I wasn't trying " His gaze shifted to the floor at his last words.  
  
"Ah," Lupin said, "Well, Harry, you must remember that...well..."  
  
A kind of muffled sound came from him, and Harry looked up to see that Lupin was shaking with laughter. Harry was half appalled, half relieved. Lupin caught his eye and howled with laughter, shutting the door as he did so. He laughed so hard that he had to sit down on the bed and gasp for breath. Finally, he had regained himself enough to speak.  
  
"Sorry," he breathed, "It's just...just..."  
  
He trailed off, looking at Harry oddly.  
  
"Just what?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
Lupin shook his head. "Nothing, Harry, nothing," he said.  
  
"Tell me," Harry insisted.  
  
"I don't want to upset you," Lupin answered.  
  
Harry thought for a moment. "Well, now I know it's about my parents, and I'm not upset, so tell me," he said.  
  
Lupin looked at him in surprise. "Well, it's just that James always told me that if he ever found you with a girl, I would have to give you 'the talk' because he and Sirius would be too busy giving you pointers."  
  
Instead of reacting to the news about his father, Harry asked, "You're not going to give me the talk, are you?"  
  
"Erm, no. That is...unless...you, well...need it," Lupin said, looking as if he desperately hoped Harry didn't need it.  
  
"Uh, no, I'm fine, thanks," Harry said quickly.  
  
He then smiled. "What did my mom say?" he asked, sitting down on the side of the bed opposite Lupin and lying down.  
  
"What?" Lupin repeated.  
  
"Yeah, after she heard my dad say that," Harry said.  
  
He closed his eyes, imagining his father, Sirius, Lupin, and his mother all sitting down in a cozy house, talking together.  
  
"How do you know she heard?" Lupin asked, but then he continued. "Well, never mind that. She told your father he was a horrible prick and that she was going to divorce him and find him a proper father."  
  
Harry's eyes shot open. "_What_?" he exclaimed.  
  
Lupin chuckled. "She was just kidding, Harry," he informed him, "He pretended to be hurt and she told him that she was just teasing him and that he would be the best father there ever was, even if he did try and corrupt his son."  
  
Harry smiled. "Good," he said, relieved.  
  
"But Harry," Lupin said, "Really – how serious are you about Silver?"  
  
Harry stared at the ceiling. "I haven't thought about it," he said, "I mean, our relationship – it just kind of happens."  
  
"Well...there's a certain point where you have to take control," Lupin said carefully.  
  
Harry sat up and turned to face Lupin. "What point is that?" he asked.  
  
Lupin opened his mouth, but the voice Harry heard was not his.  
  
"Remus, Harry," Tonks said from the doorway, "The kids are going back to the castle – all of them."  
  
"Right now?" Lupin asked.  
  
"Yup," Tonks confirmed.  
  
"Well – come on then, Harry," Lupin said, walking towards the doorway.  
  
Harry trotted after Lupin, still wanting an answer to his question. Lupin and Tonks, however, were walking side by side down the stairs.  
  
"Moony!" Harry said from behind them.  
  
Lupin flatly ignored him as he answered something Tonks had asked him.  
  
"Moony?" Harry tried again.  
  
Tonks laughed and said something back, and Lupin's laugh echoed her. They arrived downstairs, and Harry cupped his hands and yelled, "MOONY!"  
  
Lupin jumped and spun around as they arrived in the living room.  
  
"What is it, Harry?" he asked, as all eyes turned on them.  
  
Harry uncomfortably avoided everyone's gaze. There was no way he was asking Lupin in front of everybody – especially since Silver was one of those 'everybody's. "Um...nothing," he said unconvincingly.  
  
Lupin raised an eyebrow. "Right..." he said uncertainly.  
  
Harry made his way over to Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Silver, and sat down. Dumbledore began to talk to them about going back to the castle, mentioning his and Silver's names specifically a few times, but Harry wasn't listening. He was looking at Silver worriedly. They had never talked about having a more serious relationship – it had just seemed to progress on it's own. But did they need to talk about it? He wished that Tonks could have stayed downstairs for just a few more minutes before interrupting...no, barging in on...him and Lupin.  
  
"Harry?" Dumbledore said suddenly.  
  
Harry's eyes shot towards the headmaster.  
  
"You first," Dumbledore said, holding out a pot of Floo Powder.  
  
"Oh – right," Harry said.  
  
He hoped he was right in assuming that he had to go to Hogwarts. He took a handful of Floo Powder, threw it into the fire, and said, "Hogwarts!"  
  
He landed in Dumbledore's office, which looked different somehow. He had a feeling something important had changed – but what? Everything seemed to be in place, but something was definitely different. To his relief, Ron, Hermione, Silver, Ginny, and finally Dumbledore all arrived behind him. Again, he missed Dumbledore's speech as he tried to figure out what had changed.  
  
The next thing he knew, Silver nudged him in the side.  
  
"Come on, Harry," she said.  
  
He glanced at Dumbledore who was looking at him with amusement, and then followed the rest towards the Gryffindor common room. He walked downstairs to find that the entire castle had changed, somehow. It all felt different, but looked the same. He stopped in his tracks, and his friends turned around to look at him, concerned.  
  
"Something's different," he said.  
  
They all looked around, except for Silver, who looked at him.  
  
"What's different, Harry?" she asked.  
  
"Everything," he answered, "Don't you feel it?"  
  
His friends exchanged glances.  
  
"I don't feel anything different," Ginny ventured.  
  
"Neither do I," Ron added.  
  
"Me either," Hermione said, as if that settled the matter.  
  
Harry couldn't believe it. How could they not notice? He looked at Silver hopefully.  
  
"I...I don't feel anything terribly different," she said meekly, "But I'm sure there is something."  
  
Harry looked at all of them in disbelief. He felt as if he was in a completely different castle, and none of them felt a thing. _This can't be good_, he told himself.  
  
"Uh, well...it's not that different," he lied, "I think I'm just...tired."  
  
He tried his best to look tired, and they all seemed to buy it except for Silver. When they arrived in the common room, it was empty. Harry had lost all track of time, and was surprised to see that the fire in the common room had dimmed.  
  
"It's late," he announced to nobody in particular.  
  
Ginny yawned her agreement. "Yeah – g'night," she said, trudging tiredly up the stairs to the girls' dorms.  
  
Ron and Hermione echoed her and then Hermione turned to wait for Silver, and Ron for Harry. Silver looked at the two of them a moment before reaching on her tiptoes to hug Harry.  
  
"Tell me what's different," she whispered into his ear.  
  
Then, she kissed him lightly, said a cheery goodnight, and headed up the stairs with Hermione. Harry stared after her in surprise for a moment. Did she really know him well enough to know what he was thinking – when Ron and Hermione, who had known him for six years, didn't appear to have a clue? He shook his head and headed for the dorms with Ron, who was too tired to notice that anything was bothering Harry.  
  
As Harry sank under the covers, he wondered what day it was. It took him a few minutes to figure out that it was Monday – very late Monday. But it was hard to sleep – because something was different. Something was very different. He didn't know how late it was when he fell asleep – for all he knew, it could have been early Tuesday morning, but when he finally fell asleep, it was troubled. He had no visual dreams that night, but in the back of his mind, he heard a cold, dark laugh that caused him to break a sweat and clench his teeth.


	41. Contract?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Comments:** Hmm...I wasn't really planning on this chapter, but I couldn't help myself. And, featured at the end of this chapter will be –drumroll- response to reviews!

-----------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter 41 – Contract?**  
  
"Are you sure you're all right, Harry?" Hermione nagged as they walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
  
"I'm. bloody. fine." Harry growled.  
  
"Well, I'm just..."  
  
"A broken record?" he suggested.  
  
"I'm just looking out for you!" Hermione exclaimed, offended.  
  
"And that includes asking the same question and getting the same answer over...and over...and over...and-"  
  
"I get it!" Hermione interrupted.  
  
"Took you long enough," he replied irritably.  
  
Hermione sighed, and he echoed her. Silver had coaxed him to reveal how he felt that things had changed in the castle, and since then he had been treated like a bomb waiting to explode by Ron and Hermione. Silver was concerned as well, no doubt about that, but she at least treated him normally. Besides, her concern included hugs, kisses, and encouraging words, whilst Ron and Hermione's consisted of one simple factor: nagging. He didn't think he could take any more stress. Hermione continued to huff next to him, which successfully raised his annoyance.  
  
"Why did I agree to walk to class with you, again?" he asked.  
  
"Because you had nobody else to go with," Hermione supplied, "Your girlfriend is with my boyfriend."  
  
"Why doesn't that sound good?" Harry asked sarcastically.  
  
"Yes, perhaps I should have worded it differently," Hermione agreed.  
  
Ron and Silver had both gone to the Owlry to send letters to Fred and George; Ron wanted to get some free supplies from their joke shop, and Silver was just 'keeping in touch', as she put it. As Harry and Hermione rounded the corner, they saw Ron and Silver talking in front of the classroom. Ron was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, blushing, and Silver was smiling smugly, standing in front of him. At Silver's side stood Charisma, who was now fully grown, or at least very close to it. Harry and Hermione both strained to hear his words.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, big deal," Ron muttered, looking down.  
  
Silver laughed. "Oh come on, Ron, you just have to-"  
  
She trailed off as Charisma gave her a warning chirp to let her know that Harry and Hermione were approaching. Ron's blush intensified when he caught sight of Hermione.  
  
"Uh, hi," he mumbled uncomfortably.  
  
Silver looked on the verge of laughing once more, but refrained.  
  
"What were you talking about?" Hermione demanded.  
  
"Nothing," Silver replied innocently in a sing-song voice.  
  
She swept into the classroom before Hermione could question her further, dragging Harry with her. Charisma sat down just outside the doorway, watching Silver intently. The hippogriff had accepted the fact that she no longer fit in most classrooms, but would only sit quietly when she could see Silver from the doorway. As Harry and Silver sat down, Harry lay his forehead on the desk. Silver rubbed his back comfortingly.  
  
"Not feeling good?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"I just wish I could figure out what's so different," he grumbled, "It's starting to get on my nerves."  
  
And indeed, it was. It was getting increasingly hard to concentrate. It felt as if there was some presence in the castle, something that was bearing down on him every second, waiting for a chance to strike. He sighed and lifted his head up as Tonks arrived. _Last class of the day_, he reminded himself, _Then I can go talk to Dumbledore_.  
  
Tonks greeted the class cheerfully, and everyone on the Gryffindor side of the room came to attention. Unfortunately, on Tuesdays they had the class with the Slytherins, who were always too busy amongst themselves to pay much attention to anything else.  
  
Tonks cleared her throat pointedly, and a few of them reluctantly straightened in their seats.  
  
"Today we are moving on to a new unit," she announced, "Dueling."  
  
Beside Harry, Silver straightened interestedly.  
  
"Right now, I just want to see what level you are all at, so you are going to start out in the pairs that you are currently seated with..."  
  
Harry was very satisfied with this, but he didn't like the 'starting out' part – he saw no reason to change partners whatsoever.  
  
"...and later on, we'll switch so that you can..."  
  
"I'm not switching partners!" Harry declared loudly.  
  
Tonks turned to look at him, a bit flabbergasted. He glared back. He was not going to let anybody else even have a shot at hexing Silver.  
  
"Yes he is," Silver argued from beside him, "Please continue, Professor Tonks."  
  
With a last worried glance at Harry, Tonks continued her speech.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Harry whispered to Silver.  
  
"It'll be boring dueling you the whole time," Silver answered, "We'll have to switch."  
  
"Yeah, but if you end up in the hospital wing, then..." he began.  
  
"Harry, nobody in this class is going to be able to lay a wand on me," she replied confidently.  
  
Harry was taken aback. "Fine then, Miss Confidence," he muttered.  
  
"...anyway, I would love to start off with a volunteer pair," Tonks was saying, "So, are there any..."  
  
Before the words were even out of her mouth, Malfoy's hand shot up.  
  
"...volunteers. Mr. Malfoy," Tonks said, "Wonderful. Who would like to challenge him?"  
  
Nobody moved. Nobody, that is, except for Silver. Her hand shot straight up into the air immediately, a smile playing upon her lips.  
  
"Miss Riddle," Tonks said, taking a special pride in saying her name, "Excellent! Please come to the front of the classroom."  
  
Harry inwardly groaned. The last thing he needed was to watch Malfoy try and hex his girlfriend. Silver, however, nearly jumped out of her chair and headed for the front. Tonks magicked her desk out of the way, and stepped aside to explain the rules.  
  
"Alright, well, just show me what you know," she said finally.  
  
Malfoy and Silver were both staring at each other; Silver with hatred, Malfoy with a combination of loathing and lust. Malfoy swept into a formal bow just to annoy Silver, who nodded her head curtly. Then they faced each other, wands drawn. Malfoy struck first.  
  
"_Stupefy_," he tried.  
  
"_Protego_," she responded, almost boredly.  
  
He frowned, and then smiled.  
  
"I have a little pet for you, half-blood," he informed her, "_Serpensortia_."  
  
A huge black snake shot out of his wand, causing several girls to scream. It slithered towards Silver, and for a moment, they just stared at each other.  
  
"Attack!" Malfoy ordered.  
  
Instead, the serpent coiled harmlessly at her feet. Silver smiled at Malfoy charmingly.  
  
"Why, thank you, Malfoy," she said with mock gratefulness, "Just what I've always wanted."  
  
Malfoy gaped only a second before dodging a stunner sent at him from Silver. "How'd you do that?" he demanded.  
  
"I have my ways," she replied, "_Expelliarmus_!"  
  
Malfoy dodged just in time. He shot another stunner at Silver, who stepped out of the way casually, mocking him with her calmness. Harry watched her closely. He could see that she had a passion and natural flair for battle.  
  
"_Engorgio_," Silver said suddenly, pointing at Malfoy's arm, which he didn't move out of the way quickly enough.  
  
It immediately began to swell to the width of a fire hydrant, making it impossible for him to hold his wand in it. He switched hands, and Harry could see that he was beginning to lose patience.  
  
"Filthy little..." he muttered, "_Furnunculus_!"  
  
Silver rolled easily to the side, her eyes glittering.  
  
"Tut, tut, Malfoy, you don't really want to do that, do you?" she teased.  
  
"_Incendio_!" he cried in rage, pointing his wand at her feet.  
  
Silver jumped forward as a fire began to blaze near her feet. After landing, she wasted no time in casting a spell.  
  
"_Locomotor Mortus_," she cried.  
  
Malfoy's legs locked, and he fell to the floor, but not before he completely lost his temper.  
  
"No half-blood beats me!" he roared, "My father-"  
  
"Your father has nothing do with this," Silver retorted.  
  
"_You_ shouldn't be talking about fathers," Malfoy retorted, "Especially not when yours is a filthy mudblood!"  
  
Silver's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't you talk about my father!" she yelled, raising her wand, "You...have...no...right!"  
  
Malfoy's eyes glittered with a mixture of fear and amusement as Silver advanced on him with her wand. She opened her mouth, most likely to hex him into the next century, but he struck first.  
  
"_Imperio_!" he yelled, his wand pointed at Silver, "Drop the wand!"  
  
The class gasped, Charisma charged through the door, and Harry vaulted out of his seat, but everyone stopped when Silver laughed.  
  
"No thanks, Malfoy," she replied, "I'm rather attached to my wand. _Stupefy_."  
  
With a flick of her wand, Malfoy was stunned. Beaming, she turned to Tonks, who was ashen-faced.  
  
"He used an Unforgivable," she said, her voice a pitch higher than usual, "He actually used an Unforgivable."  
  
"Yes, well, this is Malfoy we're talking about," Silver replied, "The little slimeball can't even win a duel using Unforgivables."  
  
Tonks suddenly seemed to realize that Silver was standing there.  
  
"You..." she said, "You just...like it was nothing...it didn't affect you...not for a second..."  
  
"I've had my experiences with the Unforgivables," Silver replied casually, petting an overexcited Charisma soothingly, "They don't faze me much."  
  
Seamus chuckled, along with some of the rest of the class. "Um, you realize that Avada Kedavra is included in those Unforgivables?" he inquired amusedly.  
  
"Where do you think I learned to dodge?" she replied evenly.  
  
At this, the class was silent. The smile faded from Seamus' face. "Oh," he said quietly.  
  
"Um, class...will be dismissed early today," Tonks stammered.  
  
The class filed out, whispering quietly, but Silver gave Harry, Ron, and Hermione a look that clearly said that she was staying.  
  
"Are you alright?" she asked Tonks.  
  
"Me?" Tonks asked, "You're the one that just had an Unforgivable used against you! I'll probably end up being fired!"  
  
"No, you won't," Silver soothed, "It was Malfoy that cast the spell, not you."  
  
"But...I told you to show me what you know," Tonks said, looking downcast.  
  
Silver laughed. "I'm sure nobody took you seriously," she said, "Now why don't you go visit with Dumbledore while we get Killer over here to the hospital wing."  
  
"Are you sure?" Tonks asked, "I mean...he's...he's...I can't believe you're _joking_ about it!"  
  
"Don't worry about it," Silver said, "After we drop him off at the hospital wing, we'll come and give witness to what just happened in your defense, okay?"  
  
"Alright," Tonks consented weakly.  
  
Silver smiled her out of the room, and then turned to Malfoy.  
  
"Little cockroach," she sighed, "_Mobilicorpus_."  
  
Malfoy lifted off the floor, and Silver directed him out of the room...Harry had a feeling she purposely hit his head on the doorway.  
  
He, Ron, and Hermione exchanged a glance before darting after her and Charisma.  
  
"Silver!" Ron exclaimed, "You were bloody brilliant!"  
  
"That was some excellent dueling," Hermione chipped in.  
  
Harry walked up beside her and put his arm around her, causing her to accidentally hit Malfoy's body on the wall.  
  
"That was stupid," he informed her.  
  
She looked at him in surprise.  
  
"You could've been hurt," he continued.  
  
She smiled. "You're starting to sound like me," she teased.  
  
He grinned. "Well, you took my job," he answered, "Doing stupid things that can get you in trouble..."  
  
Silver looked slightly offended. "I knew I was going to win," she replied, "Are you saying you didn't think I was going to?"  
  
"Erm, no," Harry lied, "I just thought you could've gotten hurt."  
  
She huffed in a way similar to Hermione – only much cuter, in Harry's opinion. He kissed the top of her head and decided to leave the matter alone. When he straightened, he suddenly became dizzy. He stopped, wavering unsteadily.  
  
"Harry?" Silver asked concernedly.  
  
He heard a thump which meant that Malfoy had come into hard contact with a wall.  
  
"Just a little dizzy," he said, squinting as everything began to come back into focus.  
  
Silver was standing in front of him, oblivious to the fact that Malfoy was alternating between hitting the left wall and the ceiling behind her. She reached up a hand and stroked his face gently.  
  
"Harry, I think you should go see Dumbledore now," she said worriedly.  
  
"I can make it to Madam Pomfrey's and back," he replied.  
  
Surprisingly, Hermione didn't interfere at all – although Harry suspected it had something to do with the fact that Ron stepped on her foot when she opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"Well...alright," she consented reluctantly, "But...well, walk next to Ron and Charisma – just in case."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes as Ron and Charisma solemnly stepped forward on either side of him.  
  
"Come on, I just got dizzy for a second," he complained.  
  
"And you're also convinced that something in the castle has changed when everything is exactly the same," Hermione piped up, "Something's obviously wrong, Harry."  
  
Silver shot Hermione an icy look and Charisma made a low growling sound. Ron shook his head.  
  
"Hermione," Silver said, her voice laced with impatience, "Just be quiet."  
  
Hermione looked as if she were about to argue, but Ron shot her a look and she dropped silent, looking as if she had been cheated out of something. Harry's mind was spinning. _Great_, he thought, _I'm turning into a mental case. Next thing I know, I'm going to be at St. Mungo's_. He groaned out loud, clutching his fists frustratedly.  
  
"Nothing's wrong with you, Harry," Silver told him.  
  
"Then why am I the only one who knows something's different?" he exclaimed, "Why can't you guys feel it?"  
  
"Well, Harry...I mean, we haven't...it's probably..." Silver trailed off uncertainly.  
  
"What?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Well, Harry, Voldemort!" Silver exclaimed, causing Ron and Hermione to jump, "I mean, you go inside his body and have a little chat with him, and then you're in bed for two days talking in your sleep, you have a frustrating and overwhelming talk with Dumbledore, and now you feel like something's different. Of course something's different, Harry, it's you!"  
  
Harry was silent for a few seconds. "So...you're saying that _I've_ changed?" he gathered.  
  
"Yes, Harry," she said.  
  
"How?" he inquired.  
  
Silver took a deep breath as they rounded the corner to Madam Pomfrey's, and stopped outside of her office to face him.  
  
"Harry, I can just guess at a lot of things," she said quietly, "But I've spent a lot of time listening to Voldemort's plots and such, and I think that you've changed because he's...well, he's more a part of you now."  
  
"More a part of me?" Harry repeated, "More a part of me?"  
  
His voice rose as he spoke. "You think _Voldemort_ is a part of _me_?"  
  
Silver looked over at a stunned Ron and Hermione. "Take Malfoy," she said, "We'll meet you in Dumbledore's office."  
  
The two complied, both eyeing Harry warily as they passed. He was still staring at Silver in disbelief. She looked at him for a moment and then set off in the direction of Dumbledore's office with Charisma in tow.  
  
"So you think I'm some kind of half-me, half-Voldemort..._thing_?" he asked as he trotted to catch up with her.  
  
"I never said he was you!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Well what does him being a part of me mean, then?" he exploded.  
  
"I don't know how to explain it, Harry, it's just-"  
  
Harry wasn't listening to her. _What the bloody hell does she mean that he is a part of_ me_?_ he thought angrily.  
  
"I can't believe you think I'm like him!" Harry yelled, "What kind of a girlfriend are you?"  
  
She whirled to face him, placed both hands on his chest, and shoved, hard. He staggered back into the wall.  
  
"I never said that!" she yelled back, tears forming in her eyes, "I would never say that!"  
  
For a moment he was so surprised that he didn't say anything, but then he realized that she was running towards Dumbledore's office. Charisma gave him a withering look and followed her.  
  
"Well what did you mean then?" he yelled as he ran after her.  
  
He watched as she reached the gargoyle, told Charisma to stay outside, and ran up the stairs. Harry stopped as he reached Charisma, who snapped at him when he tried to get past the gargoyle.  
  
"Listen, I really need to go in," he said, "I never meant to make her cry."  
  
Charisma growled at him disbelievingly, but let him pass. Harry ran up the stairs and into Dumbledore's office, only to wish that he hadn't come at all. Dumbledore, Tonks, and Professor McGonagall were watching in confusion as Silver stood crying into Snape's robes, murmuring something incomprehensible. Snape looked up at Harry, and his eyes hardened.  
  
"What've you done to her?" he snarled.  
  
"Now, now, Severus," Dumbledore said, "I'm sure Harry hasn't done anything."  
  
"I haven't," Harry confirmed, "I just got mad because she told me that Voldemort is a part of me."  
  
Everyone quieted.  
  
"Well, now, Harry, why did that make you mad?" Dumbledore finally asked.  
  
Harry gaped in disbelief.  
  
"Well wouldn't you be upset if somebody told you that you were the darkest wizard ever known?" he asked.  
  
"I...n...never...said...t...that," Silver wailed.  
  
"Indeed, Harry," Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Dumbledore held up his hand.  
  
"I think, Harry, you should consider it from a different point of view," he said calmly, "Do you love Miss Riddle?"  
  
"What does that have to do with it?" Harry asked.  
  
Dumbledore gave him a piercing look, and Harry grudgingly answered his question.  
  
"Yes, I do," he said. Silver's sobs quieted some.  
  
"Well, then I think it would be safe to say that she is very important to you, so important that she is...a part of yourself?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Harry considered the question for a moment.  
  
"Well, I guess," he admitted, "But I'm not in love with Voldemort."  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "True," he said, "But your bond with Voldemort is a magical bond, Harry. He has marked you as his equal – his only equal – and that makes him a part of you, and you of him. It is almost like a binding magical contract."  
  
Harry was silent. _Super_, he thought, _Voldemort and I are under a binding magical contract to try and kill each other? Just great.  
_  
"Okay," he said finally.  
  
"Why were you talking about it, anyway?" Snape snapped, obviously not having forgiven Harry for making Silver cry.  
  
"Oh yeah," Harry said, "I feel like things are different here. I mean, everything is in the same place and stuff, but...it's all different. It's like something is inside of the castle...waiting for something."  
  
He finished feeling extremely stupid. What kind of an explanation was that – something was waiting for something? He looked up at Dumbledore hesitantly.  
  
"Ah," was all that Dumbledore said.  
  
"So...I'm just feeling like this because Voldemort is...a part...of me?" Harry said, forcing the words out.  
  
"I believe so," Dumbledore replied.  
  
Harry chanced a glance in Silver's direction, and saw that she was looking up at Snape, talking discreetly as he listened and looked down at her. He struggled to hear a snatch of their conversation.  
  
"...so be nice," she was saying quietly.  
  
Snape looked up and caught Harry's eye. Harry looked away quickly. The look in Snape's eye had not been 'nice' at all. The door opened, and Ron and Hermione arrived.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger," Dumbledore greeted, "I suspect Mr. Malfoy is being...treated?"  
  
"Yeah, but Madam Pomfrey is having a hard time getting his arm to deflate," Ron sniggered.  
  
Harry couldn't help but smile. Dumbledore's beard quivered dangerously.  
  
"Well, I'm sure he will be all right in the end," he finally said decidedly, and then, turning to Snape, Tonks, and Professor McGonagall, "We need a staff meeting to decide his punishment, however. Minerva, would you be so kind as to summon the other staff?"  
  
Professor McGonagall nodded and walked briskly out of the room.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said suddenly, "We came so that we could be witnesses to what happened."  
  
"Thank you, Miss Granger, but I'm afraid that won't be necessary," Dumbledore replied.  
  
Hermione looked very downcast.  
  
"I will be sure to contact you if we should need your assistance though," Dumbledore added, a twinkle in his eye.  
  
Hermione brightened a bit. "Oh, well, alright then," she said.  
  
"I think you children should be on your way," Dumbledore commented, "Unless you have anything else to bring to my attention?"  
  
"No," Ron and Hermione chorused.  
  
Silver dislodged herself from Snape and shook her head to the negative effect. Dumbledore turned to Harry, who shrugged.  
  
"Not right now," he said. _But by tomorrow I'll probably have a whole new set of problems_, he added silently.  
  
The foursome left Dumbledore's office, Harry feeling very tired and irritable. Silver didn't say a word to him when they reached the landing, she merely went up and patted Charisma before following Ron and Hermione in the direction of the common room. Harry watched her intently, and finally reached out and pulled her back gently by the wrist. It was all she needed to fly into his arms. Surprised, he held her tightly.  
  
"I'm sorry," he murmured into her hair.  
  
"Me, too," she replied.  
  
He closed his eyes and rested his face in her hair. Instead of being confused and irritated, he now felt simply worn-out. He lifted his head, and she looked up at him.  
  
"You need to take a nap," she observed.  
  
"Homework," he answered.  
  
"Nap," she replied firmly.  
  
"Alright," he consented, not feeling like arguing.  
  
He later found out that by 'nap' she expected him to go into the boys' dorms, lay in bed, and sleep until the next morning – something he had no problem doing. He wasn't plagued by an uneasy sleep this time; he suspected it had something to do with the kiss Silver had given him before he had fallen asleep.

---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Response to Reviews**  
  
_regini_ – Thank you very much, and be my guest...I know how heated laptops can get. ;)  
  
_harrytpaxd204_ – Yes, yes, of course a sequel is on its way! You guys didn't think I could possibly not make one, did you?  
  
_Peanutbutta3636_ – Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny myself...lol. And the ball is coming soon – next chapter soon!  
  
_lashajayne_ – Thank you very much! I can't help but writing...and writing...and writing some more!  
  
_Dobby's #1 Fan_ – Don't worry, a sequel is definitely on the way once this story ends!  
  
_sun-star-n-moon22_ – Way to compliment the author! lol! And thanks for your input as far as responding to reviews goes!  
  
_Tekvah Ariel_ – Thanks for your compliments – you've always left awesome reviews. And lol about Snape. I didn't want anyone to get too used to him being almost decent to Harry – think of the chaos that would cause! ;)  
  
_wiccanpriestess3451_ – Ooh, I'm your favorite? -beams- Well I'll just have to write a sequel then, won't I?  
  
_Tumblechick_ – Thanks bunches! :)  
  
Note: If I missed your review, sorry! These are responses to the reviews on Chapter 40 that I have received up until now.


	42. The Ball

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Comments:** The wonderful Valentines Day Ball chapter is here (if you couldn't tell by the title...).

---------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter 42 – The Ball**  
  
Harry yelped as something fluffy hit him full in the face, awakening him from a dead sleep. He shot up to find himself looking into Seamus and Dean's blurry – but guilty – faces. He fumbled for his glasses, keeping a hold of the pillow they had thrown at him.  
  
"You just woke me up at-"he glanced at the clock, "Seven o' clock on a Saturday morning."  
  
"Aw, come on Harry, feel the love," Dean replied.  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow, much to Seamus and Dean's amusement.  
  
"Do the words 'Valentines Ball' ring a bell?" Seamus asked him.  
  
"Shoot," Harry groaned, laying back down as a wave of realization hit him.  
  
Dean and Seamus cracked up. Harry took the pillow they had thrown at him, leaned over, and hit Ron with it as hard as he could.  
  
"Leammelone," Ron mumbled.  
  
"Ron, did you know that the Valentines Ball was today?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Wha?" Ron asked sleepily.  
  
"Valentines Ball. Today," Harry repeated.  
  
Ron's eyes popped open and he groaned. Dean and Seamus had doubled over with laughter by this time, and awoken Neville.  
  
"What's going on?" Neville inquired, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"Ron and Harry forgot about the ball," Dean chortled.  
  
Harry and Ron exchanged glances.  
  
"Did you buy Mione anything?" Harry asked.  
  
"No," Ron groaned, "Do you have anything for Silver?"  
  
"Not a thing."  
  
"Hogsmeade?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
They both quickly got out of bed and began to dress amidst Dean and Seamus' laughter.  
  
"How're we going to get out of the common room without the girls seeing us?" Ron asked.  
  
"Um, invisibility cloak?" Harry suggested.  
  
"Right," Ron said, turning his gaze on Dean and Seamus, "And you two are going to open the portrait for us."  
  
"Why should we?" Seamus teased.  
  
Then, at Ron's look, "Anything you say, Master Ron! We wouldn't _dare_ risk your wrath!"  
  
Ron rolled his eyes as he pulled a comb through his hair. Harry considered doing the same, but didn't see what good it would do. He pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and allowed Seamus and Dean to admire it for a moment.  
  
"I've always wanted one of those," Dean said wistfully, "Where'd you get it?"  
  
Harry shrugged as a sign that he didn't feel like discussing it, and Dean and Seamus took the hint. _What am I supposed to say, 'My dead father gave it to me?'_ Harry wondered.  
  
"Er, right..." Seamus said in an attempt to break the tension, "Shall we go?"  
  
Harry and Ron threw the cloak over themselves in reply. Dean and Seamus broke into fresh laughter at the sight of Hermione and Silver sitting on the couch in the common room. Silver looked up at the two upon their arrival.  
  
"Is Harry up?" she asked, her eyes glittering with hopefulness.  
  
Harry felt his stomach do flips at the eager look in her eyes.  
  
"Uh, no," Dean said, "He seemed really tired, so we told everyone to be quiet so he could sleep in."  
  
Silver looked disappointed. "Oh," she said softly, "Alright."  
  
"I doubt Ron will have a problem sleeping in with him," Hermione said, an oddly fond look in her eyes.  
  
Harry and Ron exchanged glances, Harry holding back a snigger and Ron a blush.  
  
"Yeah," Seamus said, "Well, anyway, we're just going to go...out."  
  
"Yeah, out," Dean echoed.  
  
Silver and Hermione regarded them suspiciously for a moment, but then turned back to talking. Seamus walked up to the portrait hole, pushed it open, and said loudly, "After you!"  
  
Dean stopped, allowing Harry and Ron to pass, and they heard his voice as they left.  
  
"No no, go ahead, I insist!"  
  
"No, really, you first!"  
  
"Um...okay then."  
  
Seamus and Dean jumped out of the portrait hole, and it swung shut behind them. Harry and Ron lifted the cloak so that it was just barely off.  
  
"You guys are really bad at that," Harry commented.  
  
"Not the way to thank us for helping you," Dean replied.  
  
"Definitely not," Seamus agreed.  
  
"Okay then, wonderful job," Ron replied sarcastically.  
  
"Thanks," Seamus said brightly.  
  
"That really makes my day," Dean added.  
  
Rolling their eyes, Harry and Ron disappeared underneath the cloak again and set off for Hogsmeade.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Any ideas on what to get?"  
  
Harry groaned.

------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Hurry up, Harry, you're hogging the mirror!" Dean exclaimed impatiently.  
  
"Go get a different mirror," Harry retorted.  
  
"But that's _my_ mirror," Dean insisted.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes as he attempted in vain to make his hair lie flat.  
  
"Well until my hair lies flat, you're going to have to deal with it," Harry said irritably.  
  
"No offense, mate, but your hair hasn't laid flat for sixteen years," Ron said from behind him, "What makes you think it's going to tonight?"  
  
"Tonight...is...bloody...special," Harry answered, yanking the comb down and attempting to pin his hair against his head with it.  
  
No luck.  
  
"Silver's not going to care if your hair is flat or not, Harry," Ron said sensibly as Dean sniggered.  
  
"I guess," Harry answered dubiously, looking at his untidy hair in the mirror, "But it does look a little flatter, doesn't it?"  
  
"Sure," Ron replied unconvincingly.  
  
Harry shook his head and surrendered the mirror to Dean, returning to the boys' dormitories with Ron. They pulled on their dress robes, Ron grumbling the whole time.  
  
"I hate dress robes," Ron muttered fervently.  
  
"At that one's not as bad as the one you had in fourth year," Harry answered in what he supposed was a helpful way.  
  
"Yeah, minus the lace plus the silk," Ron answered sarcastically, "Why can't I have normal material?"  
  
Harry had to work very hard to keep a straight face at Ron's comment. Ron's new dress robes were maroon, and while free of lace and frills, were a silky material which Dean had commented reminded him of his mother's nightgown. Since then, Ron had been completely against anything silk. Harry's own robes were green once more, as well, only slightly lighter than last time. Mrs. Weasley had bought them for him, and had been ecstatic that she had found robes "nearly the same color as your gorgeous eyes".  
  
Seamus suddenly walked into the dorms, holding in his hand a gold watch which he had needed to complete his "look".  
  
"Oy! Harry!" he called as he fastened the watch around his wrist, "Silver wants you to know that she and Hermione will meet the two of you in front of the Great Hall."  
  
A grin spread across his face.  
  
"If I were you, I wouldn't want to be late," he added, "The ball's already started, and she looks hot tonight."  
  
At Harry's look, he dashed off in the direction of the bathrooms. Harry debated going after him, but Ron gave a sharp pull on his arm.  
  
"Don't waste your time with him," he said.  
  
Frowning, Harry retrieved the lily and box of earrings that he had picked up for Silver while in Hogsmeade and followed Ron out of the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"So, remind me why you got a lily instead of a rose again," Ron said as two Hufflepuff boys passed with roses in their hands, talking anxiously about their girlfriends.  
  
"Because lilies are symbolic of purity, and she liked it when I gave her one during the Quidditch game," Harry explained for the thousandth time.  
  
"Right," Ron said, unconvinced.  
  
"And I think my mom would have wanted me to," Harry added, for the first time.  
  
Ron gave him a cautious and surprised look. "Oh," he said dumbly.  
  
Harry looked down at the lily in his hand uncertainly, wondering if Silver would like it, or if she would want a rose, like most of the other girls. Ron nudged him as they turned the corner.  
  
"There they are," he said.  
  
Harry looked up a bit nervously, and was momentarily stunned. Silver looked like some unearthly being. Her robes seemed to be made of a mixture of pure silver and diamonds. Whenever she moved in the slightest, tiny sparkles seemed to erupt from her robes, which fitted her very, very well. Her hair was piled delicately on top of her head, with curls spilling down onto her cheeks on either side. She wore no make up except for a light pink gloss over her lips. She was chatting contentedly with Hermione, neither of them noting the fact that he and Ron were heading their way. She turned to look at him as he drew close.  
  
"Harry," she said delightedly, a smile lighting her face.  
  
He presented her with the lily that he was holding wordlessly. Her eyes traveled from his face and down to the flower in his hand, and he heard an intake of breath.  
  
"Oh, Harry, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed, taking it gently from his hand.  
  
She closed her eyes and smelt of it, and Harry wished he could forever hold that picture in his mind. She opened her eyes, a smile on her face, and he couldn't help but smile back.  
  
"That's not all," he informed her, holding out a small, black velvet box.  
  
"Proposing, Harry?" came a voice from behind him.  
  
He turned to see Dean grinning at him cheekily, a blonde Ravenclaw hanging on his arm.  
  
"Very funny," he replied, turning his attention back to Silver.  
  
Silver made a face at Dean, but then smiled as she accepted the box and opened it. Her eyes widened when she saw its contents.  
  
"Ooh, Harry," she breathed, reaching a finger in and touching the earrings gingerly, as if she were afraid they might disappear.  
  
"Do you like them?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"I love them," she replied, gazing at them in awe.  
  
They were tiny, dangling silver hearts that were engraved with a small star in the center. Silver gently dislodged the earrings and put them on, looking at Harry expectantly. Harry grinned his approval, and she threw her arms around his neck unexpectedly. He held her tightly for a moment, and then let her sink down and out of his arms. She gave a contented sigh as she looked up at him. Ron cleared his throat loudly, and Harry looked up to find that he and Hermione were waiting for them.  
  
"Oh...right," he said, offering his arm to Silver.  
  
Beaming, she slid her arm through his as they walked into the Great Hall. It looked as if all the students were already there, excepting first through third years, who hadn't been allowed to come.  
  
"Where's Charisma?" Harry asked as they followed Ron and Hermione over to the refreshments table.  
  
"I made her stay in the dungeons," Silver replied.  
  
"The dungeons?" Harry echoed.  
  
"Yes," she replied, "I didn't want to leave her in the common room or the girls dormitories, or she would bother people. So I got permission to leave her in the dungeons."  
  
Harry noted how she purposely avoided the use of Snape's name, and found it amusing, knowing that she did it for his sake. He glanced over at Ron and Hermione, who were filling up on snacks – or rather, Ron, who was filling up on snacks, and Hermione, who was watching impatiently and complaining.  
  
"Cute couple," he commented, when he saw that Silver was looking in the same direction as him.  
  
She giggled. "Yeah," she agreed.  
  
A slow song came on, and he poked her side playfully. "Wanna dance?" he asked.  
  
He wasn't too sure of his dancing abilities, but after he had found out there was going to be a ball, he had practiced dancing with an invisible partner early in the mornings, before anyone else was awake. He thought...or rather, hoped...that it had done him some good.  
  
She smiled. "Mm-hmm," she replied.  
  
He led her out to the dance floor a bit nervously, and slid his arms around her waist. She put her arms around his neck and gazed up at him thoughtfully.  
  
"So anyway," she said as he somehow managed to steer them out of the way of an overly excited and fast-moving couple without stepping on anybody's feet, "Since we were talking about Ron and Hermione...has Ron talked to you yet?"  
  
"Talked to me?" Harry echoed, "About what?"  
  
She frowned. "Well...I promised him I wouldn't say anything," she said, "Kind of about Hermione."  
  
"Uh, other than asking me what to get her for tonight, no," Harry answered.  
  
"Oh," she said, glancing over at the other two.  
  
"What was it supposed to be about?" Harry inquired.  
  
"I told him I wouldn't tell," she repeated.  
  
He pulled her closer. "But you can tell _me_," he coaxed, giving her his best begging face.  
  
She smiled bemusedly as she looked up at him. "Well..."  
  
He waited interestedly.  
  
"No," she finally said, "I shouldn't say."  
  
"_Please_?" he begged her.  
  
"No," she replied firmly.  
  
He bent down to kiss her nose pleadingly.  
  
"No," was her reply.  
  
He tried her neck.  
  
"Harry," she said warningly.  
  
He looked at her innocently, making her giggle.  
  
"I'm going to get it out of you," he threatened.  
  
"Are not," she replied.  
  
Grinning mischievously, he began to tickle her. She squealed and pulled away, missing another dancing couple by inches. He chased her through the crowd until they reached a clearing on the side. She glanced back at him to see if he was still following, and gave another squeal when she saw that he was. She darted away, but he caught her around the waist, tickling her mercilessly.  
  
"No...Harry...stop," she laughed, squirming in his arms.  
  
He relented, and pulled her to him, her back against his chest. He leaned down so that he could speak into her ear.  
  
"Going to tell me?" he inquired.  
  
"N...no," she replied uncertainly, wrapping her arms around her waist to protect herself.  
  
"I'll eat your ear," he threatened.  
  
"The earrings will give you a stomachache," she warned.  
  
He chuckled. "So be it," he answered, nibbling lightly on her ear, but making sure not to touch her earrings.  
  
She squirmed away. "Okay, I'll tell you!" she exclaimed.  
  
He disappointedly pulled away and allowed her to turn around in his arms. For a moment he couldn't remember what it was she was supposed to be telling him – he had just been enjoying the game.  
  
"Ron's going to be so mad," she said, glancing around his shoulder to make sure Ron was still at an acceptable distance.  
  
"Ron doesn't have to know you told me," he replied.  
  
She looked up at him earnestly. "But that would be just like lying," she said.  
  
He grinned. "Alright, I'll tell him I forced you to tell me," he declared, "And that it's all my fault."  
  
He set his forehead against hers as he spoke, and she smiled.  
  
"Alright," she agreed, much to his amusement.  
  
He looked into her eyes, and could tell that she was trying to think of how to word what she was about to say.  
  
"He's really confused about Hermione right now," Silver began, "She's kind of pressuring him to tell her that he loves her, but he's confused about love – he doesn't really know what it means. He wanted to ask you, but I think he's too embarrassed."  
  
"Mione doesn't seem like the type of girl that would pressure him into saying that," Harry said thoughtfully.  
  
"She's more sentimental than you think," Silver replied.  
  
"Hmm," he replied, looking down at her.  
  
She smiled. "You're not thinking about Ron or Hermione, are you?" she asked amusedly.  
  
"Nope," he admitted.  
  
He lowered his lips to hers, and watched for a moment as she closed her eyes in anticipation of his kiss. He kissed her softly and briefly, and then drew back to look at her. She beamed at him.  
  
"Love you," he told her.  
  
Her eyes seemed to sparkle more intensely at the sound of his words.  
  
"I love you, too," she answered shyly.  
  
He grinned and kissed her on the top of the head.  
  
"Dance with me?" he asked.  
  
"Of course," she replied.  
  
Harry then realized that a fast-paced song was playing at the moment.  
  
"Erm...well..." he said, trying to think of an excuse to change his mind. He had never danced to a fast dance before, and didn't think he would be very good at it, but didn't want to let on.  
  
She giggled at his expression. "Come on, we'll get Ron and Hermione to come with us," she urged.  
  
Harry snickered. "I'd like to see Ron try and dance to this song," he agreed.  
  
Between him, Silver, and Hermione, they managed to drag Ron away from the snacks and onto the dance floor, where they pretty much made complete fools of themselves, excepting Silver, who chided them for acting 'silly' as they invented new dance moves.  
  
"Don't be shy," Harry told her, grabbing her and twirling her around.  
  
"I'm not shy," she insisted, "I just don't want to embarrass myself!"  
  
He pulled her into his arms and dipped her. "You couldn't embarrass yourself if you tried, sweetie," he informed her as he bent over her.  
  
He earned himself a kiss, and grinned like an idiot as they straightened.  
  
"Don't look now, Harry, but Snape's gonna kill you," Ron said cheerfully as he twirled Hermione around.  
  
Harry followed Ron's gaze over towards an extremely irritated-looking Snape, who was watching him with loathing.  
  
"Since when does he come to Valentines Balls?" he asked.  
  
"Since Silver does," Hermione answered.  
  
"No kidding," Harry replied.  
  
He glanced at Silver, who quickly tried not to look pleased that she was the reason Snape had come.  
  
"You asked him to come, didn't you?" he accused, twirling her about and then bringing her close into his arms.  
  
"No," she replied defensively, "He wanted to come."  
  
"To make sure I don't put you in any more 'compromising positions'?" Harry asked with a grin.  
  
She blushed. "Probably," she admitted.  
  
He chuckled, and dipped her one last time as the music stopped.  
  
"Am I compromising you?" he inquired in mock seriousness as he hovered over her.  
  
She and Hermione began to giggle helplessly as he brought her back up. Harry was very pleased with himself for inspiring such a burst of happiness, and he and Ron followed the girls back to the refreshments stand for a glass of punch. Silver's hair had come slightly undone by all the twirling and dipping, but the wisps of hair that escaped the careful pile on top of her head only made her look more beautiful, in Harry's opinion. Slow music began to play, but Harry decided to skip the opportunity to dance, since Silver and Hermione looked so intent on talking.  
  
"So," he said to Ron, "Danced a slow one with her yet?"  
  
"No," Ron answered slowly.  
  
"You should," Harry replied.  
  
"I don't know," Ron said, "Every time I get even a little bit 'romantic', she starts-"  
  
Harry put a hand up to signal Ron to stop as he looked over at Silver. A very tall boy with black hair and even blacker eyes was talking to her with a glint in his eye that Harry didn't like at all. Ron followed his gaze, and recognition dawned in his eyes.  
  
"Kyle Lawrick," he told Harry.  
  
Harry brushed past him and towards Kyle. Silver looked immensely relieved when she saw him. Harry slid an arm around her and glared at Kyle. Kyle looked at him interestedly.  
  
"Hey, Harry," he greeted, sticking out a hand.  
  
"Why are you hitting on my girlfriend?" Harry answered, not pausing for a second.  
  
"I wasn't hitting on her," Kyle said, mock hurtfulness in his voice, "I just wanted to dance with her."  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows. "And the difference would be?"  
  
"Well, you weren't dancing with her, so I figured somebody should," Kyle replied.  
  
"Do everyone a favor and stop trying to figure things out," Harry answered.  
  
Kyle's face hardened. "You don't know me..." he began in a low growl.  
  
"And I'd like to keep it that way," Harry finished.  
  
Kyle gave him a withering look and turned to walk away.  
  
"Wow, Harry," Hermione said simply.  
  
"Can you believe he had the nerve to ask her?" Harry fumed, "What a little..."  
  
Silver quieted him with a finger over his lips.  
  
"We know, Harry," she assured him, and then with a smile, "Thank you."  
  
He grinned. "Anytime," he assured her.  
  
"He'll think twice before asking her again," Ron crowed triumphantly, "You should have seen the look on your face, Harry! It was worse than Snape!"  
  
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, sounding shocked.  
  
They followed her gaze to see Snape standing only a few feet away, giving Ron a death look. Silver burst into giggles.  
  
"It's not funny!" Ron exclaimed in a whisper, "He'll kill me!"  
  
"Well, you dug your own grave, didn't you?" Silver replied smartly.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes and muttered, "Snape supporter," under his breath, which made Silver begin to giggle anew.  
  
"Oh no!" Hermione squealed suddenly, "You've gotten us all in trouble, Ron!"  
  
They all looked to see that Dumbledore was making his way towards them. There was no denying that they were his destination: he was looking right at them. They quickly all straightened and tried to look as innocent as possible as Dumbledore approached them.  
  
"Good evening," he greeted them.  
  
"Good evening," they all chorused back.  
  
His eyes twinkled as he looked at them. "Such guilty faces," he commented.  
  
A slight blush surfaced on all of their faces, excepting Ron, who turned a bright red.  
  
"I was wondering, Miss Riddle, if you would do me the honor of dancing with me," he inquired politely.  
  
"Me?" Silver echoed, "Dance with you?"  
  
"If Harry permits, of course," Dumbledore added with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
Harry blushed. "Uh, yeah, go ahead," he answered.  
  
Dumbledore turned back to a flustered Silver.  
  
"All right," she agreed faintly.  
  
Dumbledore led her out to the dance floor, and they began to dance. Students whispered and giggled, pointing at the pair, but nobody made too big of a deal out of it. Harry saw that Dumbledore and Silver were conversing as they waltzed.  
  
"He must have wanted to tell her something," he commented.  
  
"Yeah," Ron agreed.  
  
"Or maybe he just wants her to tell him something," Hermione said smartly.  
  
Harry looked at Hermione for a moment. "If he wanted her to tell him something about Voldemort, he wouldn't do it at a Valentines Ball," he said.  
  
"Keep your voice down, Potter!" Snape snapped.  
  
Harry glanced up in surprise. Either Snape had gotten closer or his glasses were playing tricks on him. _Is he eavesdropping on us?_ Harry wondered in surprise. He exchanged a glance with a scared-looking Ron and Hermione, and shrugged.  
  
"Well, Harry, Silver doesn't always pick the most – opportune – moment to say things," Hermione reminded him.  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Harry admitted, "But I still think Dumbledore's crazy if he thinks she's going to tell him anything about..."  
  
He was cut off by warning looks from Ron and Hermione which could only mean that Snape was still eavesdropping. He suddenly heard Tonks' voice and turned around. She was making her way towards them with a smile on her face.  
  
"Hey, kids," she greeted them fondly.  
  
"Hi," they chorused.  
  
"Remus says hi, Harry," she informed him.  
  
"Cool," Harry said, and then, "Wait – you talked to him today?"  
  
"Um, well, yes," Tonks said uncertainly.  
  
A smirk began to spread across Harry's face. "In person?"  
  
"Yes," Tonks admitted, flushing faintly.  
  
"You were on a date!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
This time Tonks' blush was definite. "No we weren't!" she argued.  
  
"Sure," Harry smirked.  
  
Flustered, Tonks turned away and crashed full force into Snape. Snape jumped as if he had been hit with a bomb. Harry was shaking with silent laughter.  
  
"Oh, um, hi Severus," Tonks greeted as she took two large steps back.  
  
Snape glowered at her. "Hello," he finally said stiffly.  
  
"I...um, didn't know you liked balls," Tonks ventured.  
  
The look Snape gave her was priceless. He looked completely offended that anyone would ever think that he liked balls in the slightest.  
  
"I don't," he answered.  
  
"Oh," Tonks said in a small voice.  
  
Dumbledore suddenly seemed to appear out of thin air. Harry looked around for Silver, and began to panic when he couldn't see her.  
  
"Not to worry, Harry," Dumbledore said, "Miss Riddle has only gone to the ladies' room. I was wondering though, Miss Granger, if perhaps you would accompany her? I'm not particularly fond of the idea of her going off alone."  
  
"Sure," Hermione replied, heading for the door.  
  
Harry listened halfheartedly as Tonks and Ron began to participate in a conversation about Quidditch, but his eyes rested by the door, awaiting Silver's return. After a minute or so, he looked over at Dumbledore and Snape, and straightened when he heard a snatch of their conversation.  
  
"...said she had something important to tell me after the ball," Snape was saying.  
  
Harry inched closer, hoping not to be noticed.  
  
"Do you think it's about that matter, though?" Dumbledore asked gravely.  
  
"I suspect it," Snape answered, "She'll usually tell me things straight away, but this makes me think that it's more important than usual."  
  
Harry wondered if he had heard right. If he had, then Snape had just admitted that he considered the things Silver usually told him important.  
  
"I hope you're right," Dumbledore replied, "We're running out of time, and- "  
  
"Potter," Snape growled suddenly, interrupting Dumbledore, "What are you doing?"  
  
Harry froze. He had gotten closer than he had meant to.  
  
"Erm, nothing," he said, "I was just...just..."  
  
"Just eavesdropping?" Snape suggested.  
  
Harry felt a twinge of unfairness. Snape had been doing the exact same thing to them! He opened his mouth to tell him so, but when he looked up at Snape, Snape was not looking at him. His eyes were focused on Hermione, who was making her way towards them – alone. Hermione was biting her lip when she reached them.  
  
"Um, I can't find her," she said meekly, "I've looked in all the bathrooms except for the ones on the third floor, but Lavender and Seam...I mean, um, well, Lavender said she wasn't up there..."  
  
Hermione flushed slightly as she finished. Harry felt a bit of unease rising up in him.  
  
"She probably went to check on the blasted animal," Snape said irritably, "I'll get her."  
  
With that, he brushed past them. Harry almost wanted to follow Snape, but he stayed put.  
  
"Why would she say she was going to the bathroom if she was going to go check on Charisma?" he asked.  
  
"Well, you know her, Harry, she probably was on her way back from the bathroom when she remembered how 'lonely' Charisma was, and then decided to go visit her for a bit," Hermione replied comfortingly.  
  
"Yeah, you know how she much she loves that thing," Ron added from behind Harry.  
  
Harry jumped and spun around to face Ron and Tonks. He had been completely unaware that they had approached.  
  
"You're probably right," he agreed, although he would only be satisfied when he saw her.  
  
He glanced up at Dumbledore, who merely nodded.  
  
"Don't be worried, Harry," Hermione urged.  
  
"I'm not," Harry lied.  
  
He looked towards the door to escape the disbelieving stares being thrown his way. For a few minutes, nobody spoke – everybody just looked at the door. Harry thought it was taking an awfully long time for Snape just to walk to the dungeons, get Silver, and come back.  
  
"He's probably scolding her for going somewhere else," Hermione said suddenly, interpreting Harry's thoughts.  
  
"Yeah," Ron echoed weakly.  
  
Harry looked at them briefly. He only had to look a second to see that they didn't believe a word they were saying. Suddenly Ron's face went taut and he straightened, looking behind Harry. Harry slowly turned around, and his stomach gave a lurch. Snape was making his way towards them – alone.  
  
"I've searched the dungeons and had the portraits search the halls," he announced, "She's not in the castle. We'll have to search the grounds."  
  
_Not in the castle?_ Harry's mind echoed. He looked at Ron and Hermione, who both tried – and failed – to look as if they weren't worried.  
  
"So be it," Dumbledore agreed, "Tonks, would you please ask Professor McGonagall to keep an eye on things while we are gone?"  
  
"Of course," Tonks replied, hurrying off in the other direction.  
  
Harry watched her go dazedly. Hermione suddenly tugged at his sleeve.  
  
"Come on, Harry," she said.  
  
He snapped to attention and realized that Snape and Dumbledore were already headed for the door. He broke into a jog to catch up with them.  
  
"Where do you think she is?" he demanded as he caught up.  
  
Dumbledore looked at him expressionlessly for a moment. "I must say, I do not know," he replied finally.  
  
Unsatisfied, Harry turned to Snape. Snape eyed him with hatred and then directed his gaze away. Harry dropped back a few steps, making a face at Snape behind his back. Ron and Hermione came on either side of him. They made their way outside to be faced with a moonless night.  
  
"We should split up to cover more ground at once," Hermione suggested.  
  
Dumbledore nodded, and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.  
  
"That won't be necessary," Snape said, from a few feet away. He was looking down at the ground intensely, and he finally stooped and reached for something. He straightened and Harry's heart stopped beating completely. He was holding Silver's locket at arm's length. Finally, he brought it closer to observe it.  
  
"The chain is broken," he said, sounding as if he were observing a potion somebody had made in class.  
  
He and Dumbledore exchanged glances.  
  
"She was taken by force," he finished, his voice suddenly quieter.

--------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Response to Reviews**  
  
_Kittie Riddle_ – Thank you very much! You say you want a clue? shakes finger firmly No, no, no! Patience! I know...I'm evil.  
  
_SmileyMare1810_ – Yeah, I realized a few chapters back that I had left Hagrid out of this...I never really meant to, but he kind of got pushed back what with my other ideas. I'll try and bring him back at least slightly in the sequel. :) Oh by the way, your name makes me curious as to whether you like horses – do you?  
  
_Peanutbutta3636_ – Don't be sorry – I'm glad you're so happy! lol!  
  
_sun-star-n-moon22_ – Ooh, I love your compliments! I will try to update as much as possible!  
  
_Dbish403_ – Wow – a bit excited language wise, are we? ;) Ah, we all fear for Silver's life!  
  
_GHzowy_ – Yeah, I was starting to think the same about Silver, myself, actually. Ah well. Oh and thank you very much for your compliments!  
  
_PadfootLover71_9 – As I've mentioned before, a sequel is on it's way!  
  
_Strawby168_ – Yeah, I've been meaning to bump up the rating for a while now. I shall remember tonight when I add this chapter!  
  
_wiccanpriestess3451_ – Silver's parents' identities will be revealed...soon, and as far as her locket goes, I have by no means forgotten about it! It's much too important to forget!  
  
_Tumblechick_ – Well, you may be right. You may have to wait until the sequel to find out. I may be giving out too much information. –zips lips-  
  
_Tekvah Ariel_ – Don't you just hate how I didn't tell what Malfoy's punishment was? Don't worry, I'll let you guys know later. And of course, thank you for your compliments!  
  
_ActionPackedKindaGirl_ – Okay, so your review wasn't for Chapter 41, but I have to answer it anyway. I absolutely can't resist really long reviews, and that's what you left me! I just have to say thank you – your compliments about my writing made me smile like an idiot! Oh and just because this story is ending doesn't mean there won't be a lack of updates in it's sequel, let me remind you! Harry and Silver can't stay in the sixth year forever!  
  
And also a huge thank you to _Dobby's #1 Fan, Rose In Winter, Kestrez, miss- sweetheart1027, wordwiz8121_, and _harryptaxd204_, all of whom made me extremely happy with their reviews! Oh and sorry about the cliffy, guys! But really, this chapter was getting too long – 12 Microsoft Word pages typed in size 9 font – your eyes would have fallen out if I had typed any more!


	43. The Ring

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Comments:** Well, this chapter took me a while to write. There were certain things I wanted you guys to know, and certain things I didn't, and I had creative inspiration at the last minute, which made me change a few things up. So, sorry it took me a bit longer than usual to update!

-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter 42 – The Ring**  
  
Harry followed Dumbledore and Snape up to Dumbledore's office in a trance. Ron and Hermione had to literally drag him with them. After the gargoyle sprang open, Harry paused and stared at it a bit, as if he had never seen it before. Half of him felt like he had never seen it before, in fact, because it was so – different.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione snapped, her patience lost, "Come on!"  
  
Harry looked from Hermione to Ron to the gargoyle and suddenly sprinted up the stairs to Dumbledore's office. He pushed open the door with a bang, and Dumbledore and Snape merely looked at him, unfazed.  
  
"Where was she taken?" Harry demanded, looking back and forth between the two of them.  
  
"How are we supposed to know, Potter?" Snape replied, annoyance evident in his voice.  
  
"Well when are we going to go get her?" Harry asked.  
  
Snape gave him a look of utmost annoyance and turned back to Dumbledore, who was talking to the portrait of Phineas Nigellus.  
  
"Right away," Phineas replied, disappearing from the portrait.  
  
Then Dumbledore turned to Fawkes, who was watching interestedly.  
  
"Fawkes," Dumbledore said quietly.  
  
The bird tilted it's head questioningly.  
  
"Find her," was all Dumbledore had to say for Fawkes to disappear in a flash of fire.  
  
"How can she be gone?" Harry demanded.  
  
Dumbledore and Snape just stared at him.  
  
"I said, HOW CAN SHE BE GONE?" Harry yelled, "She just went to the bathroom, how can she be gone?"  
  
Dumbledore continued to look at him, and Snape shook his head and looked away. For some reason, Snape's action angered Harry beyond belief.  
  
"HOW?" Harry bellowed at Snape, "Why won't you look at me? It's your fault, you know! If you had just-"  
  
Harry was forced to stop as Snape whirled around and grabbed him by the throat.  
  
"Listen and listen well, Potter," he snarled, "Say that again, and you won't live past your next birthday."  
  
"Let him go, Severus," Dumbledore commanded.  
  
Harry felt Snape's fingers tighten around his throat, and then release. Harry took three large, fast steps backwards, breathing deeply. He looked at Dumbledore in amazement. Snape had just nearly strangled him, and all Dumbledore was going to do was tell him to let go? Dumbledore's blue eyes seemed to be boring holes through his, and Harry was forced to look away.  
  
The flames of Dumbledore's fire suddenly turned green and spat out a worried-looking Lupin.  
  
"Good evening, Remus," Dumbledore greeted.  
  
_Good evening Remus?_ Harry echoed in his head, Silver _disappears out of thin air and he has the nerve to say 'good evening'?_ He realized that Lupin and Dumbledore were both staring at him, so he grudgingly greeted Lupin. "'Lo," he mumbled.  
  
Lupin looked as if he didn't quite know what to do. Finally, he walked over and put his hands on Harry's shoulders. "We'll find her, Harry," he said.  
  
Harry nodded, although he wasn't so sure. She had completely vanished – how were they supposed to track that? He heard the door open, and Tonks walked into view shortly. She stared hard at him for a moment, and then exchanged a meaningful glance with Lupin. Harry turned away from the two and looked at Dumbledore.  
  
"What are we going to do now?" he asked.  
  
"There's nothing we can do, Harry, except wait," Dumbledore replied.  
  
"Maybe...if I could talk to Voldemort again...he would tell me if he had caught her, I know it. He always gloats..."  
  
"No, Harry," Lupin and Dumbledore said at the same time.  
  
Harry glared at them. "Well there has to be something to do other than just sit and wait!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Shut your trap, Potter," Snape growled.  
  
"I don't ha-"Harry began hotly.  
  
"SHUT UP!" Snape roared, advancing on him.  
  
Remembering the feel of Snape's fingers around his throat, Harry satisfied himself for a glare and obscene mutterings under his breath. Lupin stepped in between him and Snape, giving Snape a death glare and him a sympathetic glance. Suddenly, a ball of fire seemed to burst from Dumbledore's desk, causing everyone but Dumbledore himself to jump. Fawkes had returned.  
  
"Ah, Fawkes," Dumbledore said, "Have you found her?"  
  
Fawkes lifted into the air and dived for Snape, who looked a bit frightened. The bird attacked the inside of his robes, and a Death Eater's mask fell to the floor. Fawkes picked it up and dropped it into Dumbledore's hands. Harry felt like he was going to be sick – that wasn't a good sign at all. Dumbledore looked at Fawkes gravely.  
  
"The same place?" he asked.  
  
Fawkes made a crooning noise, and Dumbledore seemed to have made a conclusion.  
  
"Silver is at The Cellar," he announced, "She is alone and unguarded at the moment, but that will soon change. The door is easy to open from the outside, but impossible from the inside. Severus, Remus, and Tonks, you will retrieve her. The children may come if you wish."  
  
"They stay," Snape said, eyeing Harry with dislike.  
  
"They go," Lupin countered.  
  
"They go," Tonks agreed, "Sorry Severus, two-to-one."  
  
Snape gave her a murderous glare, but then seemed to realize that he had other things to be doing. "Well, come on then," he snapped, snatching a jar from atop Dumbledore's fireplace and grabbing a handful of Floo Powder before thrusting the jar into Lupin's arms. Nobody dared to ask where they were flooing to. Snape threw the powder into the fire with force, stepped in, and demanded, "Snape Manor!"  
  
Lupin politely held the jar open for Tonks, who smiled at him as she took some and then transported herself. Next went Hermione, then Ron, and then Harry. Harry very nearly jumped out of the fireplace when it deposited him in Snape's study, which caused everybody but Snape to jump out of the way. Snape merely looked at him as if daring him to come into any kind of contact with him. Harry was returning Snape's glare as Lupin arrived.  
  
"So why did we come _here_?" Harry asked, "And what's 'The Cellar'?"  
  
"Don't ask questions," Snape replied, and then, to the rest of the group, "Follow me."  
  
Exchanging glances, everybody did as they were told. Snape seemed in a particularly bad mood, and nobody wanted to push that. Snape grabbed his cloak and put it on as he led them out of his front door, and began walking down the dark road.  
  
"Severus?" Tonks ventured, "Where are we going?"  
  
"Are you deaf?" Snape retorted, "The Cellar."  
  
"Don't talk to her like that!" Lupin interjected.  
  
Snape looked back and sneered at him, causing Lupin's face to redden with anger. Tonks looked back at Lupin and mouthed, 'Let it be', and Lupin grudgingly nodded. They came to a fork in the road, and Snape abruptly stopped and turned around, causing everyone to stop dead.  
  
"We cannot talk beyond this point until we reach The Cellar," he said, "So I wanted to make clear what we are doing. We are coming to get Silver – and _only_ to get her."  
  
His eyes focused on Harry, boring a hole into him.  
  
"Reckless acts will result disastrously. _Some_ of us would do well to remember that," he finished.  
  
"Are you talking about me?" Harry asked, his temper flaring.  
  
"Yes, Potter, I am," Snape answered, "You will not let your thirst for revenge risk her safety."  
  
Harry noted how the only person's safety Snape seemed concerned about in the least was Silver's. Although he still felt like punching him in the nose, he relented.  
  
"Okay," he said resentfully.  
  
Snape nodded and then swiftly spun and began to head down the right fork. The path became more and more narrow as they progressed, until they had to walk single file. Harry was right behind Snape, and he had no idea who was behind him. All he knew was that he wanted to get to Silver, and fast. However, the trail never seemed to end. Snape neither sped up nor slowed down, but kept up one brisk pace. Harry attempted to put his head to the side to see if there was a clearing – or a cellar – or anything, really, but as far as he could see in the moonless night, the trail continued on forever. Suddenly, Snape stopped dead. Harry collided with him full force, and behind him he felt many more impacts and a few yelps of surprise. Snape somehow managed to stay standing, regarding them all with distaste, but true to his word, he didn't speak.  
  
Snape turned to his right and walked into the trees without hesitation. For a moment Harry just stood there and gaped, but Hermione pushed him impatiently and he dived in after Snape. Snape led them through the thickest forest Harry had ever been in at a very fast pace. Harry tripped over tree roots about every three steps, but managed to stay on his feet the entire time. If he put his hands up on either side of him, he could always feel trees. It was like walking through a very narrow, dark, bumpy hallway. Then it happened. Harry saw definite light ahead. He began to quicken pace, hopping over the tree roots as he did so. He suddenly found that there was no more moss or roots under his feat, but instead very worn down cobblestone. The others filed out behind him, and they all stopped and surveyed their surroundings with interest and wonder. They were standing to the side of an old, wide cobblestone street that was bathed in a dim sunlight. In front of them was what looked to be a ghost town. Old, dilapidated and crumbling stone buildings stood around them, and broken down carts lay to the sides of the street. The entire place had an eerie, foreboding feeling to it.  
  
"Where-"Tonks began, but Snape lunged at her and clapped his hand over her mouth before she could say anything else.  
  
He pushed her back into the forest, his hand still over her mouth, and the others quickly scrambled in at his look. Snape pushed Tonks down and squatted beside her, and the others did the same. Suddenly, what sounded like rapid gunshots came from the clearing, promptly followed by a shrill scream, and more shooting. Harry crawled forward for a glimpse of what was going on, but Snape abandoned Tonks and pulled him back by his collar. Harry put a hand on his now sore neck, glaring at Snape, who mouthed, 'Don't look' in a very stern way. The shots continued to be fired for at least another two minutes, and then, abruptly, everything stopped. Snape made them stay crouched there for another five minutes before he rose and turned to them. He put his finger to his lips, and, with a grim face, stepped out of the trees. Harry was about to follow him when he saw Snape cringe – something Snape had never done before. Cautiously, Harry stepped outside.  
  
The sight before him nearly made him throw up. Laying just a few feet away from him was Sirius – dead. His eyes were open, and he was staring at Harry emotionlessly. Harry began towards him, but Snape grabbed his wrist and shook his head. Harry allowed his eyes to dart away from Sirius. Laying just a few feet away was a dead Silver, her eyes also open. Hermione cautiously stepped out of the trees, and had to clap her hands over her mouth to refrain from making any noise. Ron stepped out, and his eyes practically doubled. He set his mouth in a firm line and refrained from making any noise, however. Lupin stepped out, and had much the same reaction. Finally came Tonks. Her eyes widened, and she jumped backwards. Snape raised his hand out in the air to get everyone's attention, and he began to walk determinedly down the street. Harry wanted to look up, away from the corpses that he was sidestepping, but he couldn't. He walked past a dead Lupin, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, the entire Weasley family, and the entire Order – minus Snape - before he was truly affected. Lying dead on the street in front of him was Cedric Diggory. The first thing that raced through Harry's mind was, I_ have to take his body to his parents_. He reached down towards Cedric, and Snape turned around faster than any normal human being ever could and grabbed Harry's arm. Harry tried to reach for Cedric with his other hand. Snape grabbed both of his arms and hauled him past. Harry tripped over something, and looked down to see another dead Sirius. It made him sick. He fell to his knees and wretched next to Sirius' body, Snape still holding on to both of his arms. Harry made no effort to move when he was done, and Snape began to drag him, holding both of his wrists in his hand. Harry felt incredible waves of loss and grief running over him, and allowed himself to be dragged across the hard cobblestone, not caring what physical pain it did him.  
  
Finally, the corpses seemed to come to an abrupt end as the street forked off. Snape took the left road without slowing down in the least. Still being dragged, Harry managed to get to his feet at the same time, feeling pangs of loss. _Everyone's dead_, he mourned silently, _I'll never play chess with Ron again, or do homework with Hermione. I'll never get a kiss from Silver again, I'll never be able to..._ His thoughts were cut short as Snape suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around. He felt waves of relief as he saw Ron, Hermione, Lupin, and Tonks all walking towards him. For a moment he just stood there, but Snape gave a sharp tug at his arm, and Harry knew that they weren't done yet. He felt incredibly tired as he walked, and that he would like nothing more than a good sleep. His knees began to buckle, but suddenly something hit him sharply on the side of the head – Snape's fist. He angrily opened his mouth to tell him off, but was smothered by his hand immediately. He exchanged a hateful glare with Snape before consenting to keep quiet with a curt nod. Snape removed his hand from Harry's mouth and wiped it disdainfully on his robes. Harry couldn't help but find it the tiniest bit amusing. As they walked, Snape circled the group, keeping them awake with blows to the head, excepting Tonks and Hermione, whom he shook roughly by the shoulders.  
  
Suddenly, a small, wooden house seemed to pop out of nowhere. It was so small, in fact, that it looked like Harry's bedroom at the Dursley's with a door. Snape opened it and gestured for them to go inside. Harry stepped through the door expecting to find himself in a very small room, but instead found himself on what looked to be the same path he had just stepped out of, only the sunlight was gone, and the moonless night they had come from had returned. The feeling of gloom and depression left him, and his tiredness faded away. The others filed in behind him, and looked similarly relieved. Tonks had tears streaking her face, and was wiping at them furiously. Ron was extremely red, looking as if he had just gotten the most embarrassing insult of his life. Hermione and Lupin simply looked stunned. Just ahead of them was a small well, and beyond that, a small stone room with a door that looked like the one they had just entered. Finally, Snape came in and shut the door behind him.  
  
"We can talk now," he announced.  
  
Immediately he was bombarded with questions.  
  
"What was that place?"   
"Why couldn't we talk?"   
"Where _are_ we?"   
"How did you know your way through that forest?"  
  
Harry kept silent as the others asked questions, for he could see Snape's tolerance level going down as the level of questions went up.  
  
"Silence!" Snape yelled.  
  
Everyone fell quiet immediately. Snape inhaled deeply, giving them all piercing looks.  
  
"That was the only way to get to The Cellar," he said quietly, "It is an enchanted magical town that is activated at the sound of the human voice. The person, or people, you have deep emotions towards in any way but hate, are the ones that you saw dead. If you were to touch one," he paused and glanced at Harry, "You would die. The next path we walked down is designed to use the feelings of grief and loss you had previously felt to lure you to sleep. If you had slept, you wouldn't have woken up."  
  
"Do...do we have to go back?" Hermione ventured.  
  
"Most likely," Snape replied, "But as long as everyone stays silent, there will be no 'side effects' to the roads we take."  
  
"Why did I see Sirius?" Harry asked suddenly, "If he's already dead, why did I see him?"  
  
Harry didn't want to mention the fact that he had also seen Cedric.  
  
"Just because someone is dead doesn't mean you can't have feelings about them," Snape replied.  
  
_And what would you know about feelings?_ Harry wondered as he looked at Snape, the most emotionless being he had ever met. Snape looked back at him with no sign of sympathy at the fact that Harry had just been tortured by images of his dead godfather.  
  
"Who did you see?" Harry inquired.  
  
"That's none of your business," Snape replied evenly.  
  
"Fine," Harry said, annoyed, "Where's Silver?"  
  
Snape pointed to the small stone room. "In there," he replied.  
  
With that, he began to walk towards it. Harry was momentarily stunned, but then he quickly caught up to Snape.  
  
"Why've you been sitting here all this time?" he demanded, "Why haven't we gotten her already?"  
  
Snape whirled around on him, his eyes flashing menacingly.  
  
"Because I needed a break!" he hissed.  
  
Harry took a step backwards and fumbled for his wand. Snape rolled his eyes and turned back towards the small house. When he reached the door, he turned to them, and said quietly, "Stand back."  
  
They all backed up immediately, and Snape threw open the door and stood to the side. After waiting a few seconds, he stepped cautiously into the doorway. Suddenly, like a hound that picked up a scent, he straightened. The others quietly walked up behind him, and held their breaths when they heard what had caught his attention. Right in front of them was a long stairway that led downwards, and coming from it there was unmistakably the sound of sobbing.  
  
"Silver?" Snape called.  
  
The sobs stopped for a moment, and then returned twice as loud as the first time.  
  
"Silver," Snape said, only this time it was a statement. He put a foot on the stairway, but Silver's voice stopped him.  
  
"No!" she cried, "Don't come down here!"  
  
Snape pointed his wand down the stairway, as if ready to hex it. "Is it a trap?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"N...no," she sobbed, "But y...you can't d...down."  
  
"Why not?" Snape inquired, eyeing the stairway suspiciously.  
  
"B...because," she wailed, "I'm not...I don't have any...I'm..."  
  
"What is it, child?" Snape demanded.

Silver only sobbed louder.  
  
Snape looked flustered. "What is she talking about?" he asked incredulously, looking at them.  
  
"Silver," Harry called, "What if I came down?"  
  
"NO!" she yelled, "Don't...y...you...dare!"  
  
Harry was appalled at her passionate answer, but Snape looked a bit satisfied. They all looked at each other questioningly as they listened to Silver's sobs, when suddenly Hermione whispered something into Tonks' ear. Tonks' eyes widened, and she stepped up to the stairway and squatted down.  
  
"Silver?" she called, "Are you...naked?"  
  
"Yes," Silver wailed miserably.  
  
Harry and Snape each took a huge step back from the stairway. Lupin and Ron edged away a bit, as well. Hermione began to look around the small room intently.  
  
"Where are your clothes?" Tonks called, "Are they up here?"  
  
"N...no," came the reply.  
  
Hermione stopped searching the room.  
  
"Are they down there somewhere?" Tonks asked hopefully.  
  
"No," Silver sobbed, "V...V...Voldemort...h...has...t...them."  
  
"Filthy bastard!" Snape cursed loudly.  
  
He took off his cloak and thrust it at Tonks. Tonks took it and looked from the cloak to Snape questioningly.  
  
"Do with it what you must," Snape said impatiently, "Just get her clothed and bring her to me."  
  
Tonks nodded. "Silver," she called down the staircase, "I'm coming down there, okay?"  
  
"No!" Silver cried.  
  
"Listen, honey, I'm going to bring you something to wear," Tonks explained.  
  
"N...n...no," Silver sobbed.  
  
Tonks sighed and looked at Hermione, who shook her head.  
  
"She would want you to go down more than she would me," Hermione said, "Trust me."  
  
Tonks nodded and began to head down the stairs. Everybody listened intently. The heightening of Silver's sobs signaled that Tonks had successfully made it down the staircase.  
  
"Here, sweetie, wrap yourself up in this while I get the door unlocked," Tonks said soothingly.  
  
They heard the rattling of chains and then a horrible sliding noise, followed by a click. Silver's sobs quieted dramatically.  
  
"Alright now," Tonks was saying, "I thought we'd just wrap it around you and..."  
  
Tonks' voice trailed off momentarily, and when they heard it again, she sounded as if she were on the verge of tears.  
  
"Oh, sweetie," Tonks sighed, "It's going to be okay."  
  
Silver's voice became audible, but Harry couldn't tell what she was saying.  
  
"You're going to be all right," Tonks was saying soothingly, "Everything's going to be fine. Now let's get this cloak on you properly...no, we can't stay here for a while. Severus would kill me."  
  
A second later, Tonks called up, "Sorry, Sev, we're going to have to tear your cloak!"  
  
"I don't-"Snape began, but suddenly he stopped, and his eyes flashed. "Sev?" he roared, "_Sev_?"  
  
Tonks' giggles drifted up the staircase, but Silver remained silent. The anger left Snape's eyes to be replaced by worry. Harry began to pace in front of the stairway, running his hand through his hair repeatedly. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He jumped around and faced the stairway, not daring to peek down, but waiting for Silver to surface.  
  
"There's nothing to be scared of, sweetie," Tonks' was saying soothingly.  
  
A moment later, the two appeared. Silver was latched into Tonks' side, shaking uncontrollably. She was wearing Snape's cloak as one would a bath towel, clutching it to her defensively. Her eyes lifted, and slowly scanned the room. Her eyes locked onto his, and she gave a sharp intake of breath and clutched her towel to her closer than before and shaking even more. She blushed, and lowered her eyes, leaving Harry halfway confused. He could see how it might be awkward for her being wrapped up in nothing but a cloak, but she had looked...scared. Scared of him. Her eyes continued to search the room, until they locked onto Snape. She tore away from Tonks and ran to him.  
  
"Hide me," she whimpered.  
  
Snape awkwardly lowered his arms so that they covered her bare shoulders. Still shaking, a sob escaped her. She began to cry, murmuring into his robes the entire time. The word "scared" could be made out again and again. It was obvious that Snape had no idea what to do. Harry had to admit, he had no idea himself. Finally, her sobs subsided, which left her merely shaking.  
  
"I was so scared," she said shakily, "So scared."  
  
"Well, you can stop being scared now," Snape replied, a matter-of-fact tone to his voice.  
  
She didn't reply, and Snape looked down at the top of her head with worry. "Why are you shaking?" he demanded. Still no reply.  
  
Snape squatted down and looked up at her piercingly. "What did he do to you?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head and buried it in his shoulder. Snape looked at a loss, until his eyes landed on Harry. He seemed to have an idea.  
  
"You haven't said hello to Potter yet," he informed her.  
  
She drew away and Harry was unable to see the expression on her face as she looked at him. Then, she turned and looked at Harry. His stomach flopped about excitedly. He wanted to run up to her, take her in his arms, and swing her around with joy at having found her, but the fearful look in her eye stopped him. She took a cautious step towards him, her head tilted to the side as she observed him.  
  
"I won't hurt you," he said quietly.  
  
It was almost as if she were released from a spring. She launched herself into his arms, her face buried in the crook of his neck. Trying not to look too shocked, he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Harry," she whispered quietly.  
  
He pressed a kiss into her hair in reply, and she tightened her arms around him. After a few seconds, she took a step back and out of his arms. She looked at him intently for a moment before putting a hand to her forehead and letting out a soft sigh.  
  
"Oh no," she groaned.  
  
Harry and Snape both stepped towards her concernedly. She turned to Snape, much to Harry's disappointment. She and Snape looked at each other for a moment before she completely burst.  
  
"VoldemortsgonnakilltheDursleyssoHarrywon'tbesafeandheleteveryoneoutofAzkabantonightbutthedementorswonttellbecausethey'reonhissideandIwantedtotellyousoonerbu-"  
  
Snape put a hand to her lips to silence her and squatted down once more. "Again...slower," he requested.  
  
She took a deep breath. "Voldemort is going to kill the Dursleys so that Harry won't be protected at their house anymore. He's going to lure them out telling them they've won something...I don't know what, apparently Bella thought of the plan, though, so it can't be that clever. He also let all the Death Eaters out of Azkaban tonight, but I doubt the rest of the wizarding world will know until around noon tomorrow when Fudge makes the rounds, because the dementors aren't going to raise the alert. Oh and they're going to perform the kiss on Fudge while he's there, but let at least one other person off to tell the story."  
  
She finished and there was complete silence. Snape blinked at her a couple of times and then straightened.  
  
"When is he planning on carrying out his plan?" he asked casually.  
  
Silver bit her lip. "Um, tomorrow at around noon," she said.  
  
Snape blinked at her again, and then pulled out his watch. "I suppose you mean today around noon," he observed wryly.  
  
"I'm really sorry," Silver said, her lower lip quivering dangerously, "I wanted to tell you!"  
  
"Don't be sorry," Snape said, "It's not your fault."  
  
"But it is," Silver protested, "I knew about it and I didn't tell you!"  
  
"Don't be silly, child," Snape replied briskly, "Now how are you feeling?"  
  
Silver looked surprise at the change in subject. "How am I feeling?" she echoed.  
  
"Yes," Snape said, impatience lacing his voice.  
  
She seemed to consider it a moment. "Terrible," she finally pronounced, "But much better than I did a few hours ago."  
  
"Tired?" Snape asked.  
  
"No...o," Silver replied as she yawned.  
  
Snape smirked. "I'm can tell," he said sarcastically.  
  
Silver looked around. "How are we getting home?" she asked. She looked at the door and took a step back. "Not that way," she said, her voice begging.  
  
"It's the only way," Snape replied.  
  
"No," she said fervently, "I'll never go there again. It was...it was horrible. You were dead."  
  
She turned her eyes on him, and he looked back down at her with a strange expression in his eye. Finally, he seemed to have made a decision.  
  
"Come here, child," he requested.  
  
Silver took a cautious step towards him. He looked down at her gravely, and began to speak, but Harry was suddenly distracted by something in the corner of the room. It was a small ring, probably gold, with a glittering red stone on top – a ruby. For some reason, it looked familiar to him – as if it were his, and he had lost it a very long time ago. He began to walk towards it, entranced by it's sparkle.  
  
"Harry, don't touch that!" Silver exclaimed suddenly.  
  
_But it's mine_, his mind said, _I have to touch it. I have to_. He stretched out his hand towards it and heard a faint cry somewhere in the distance, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was getting the ring – the ring that was enticing him as he looked at it. He had to at least touch it, feel it. _It is mine, after all_, he thought to himself. Somebody grabbed ahold of his other arm, and he began to panic.  
  
"No!" he shouted, "Let me get my ring!"  
  
He lunged for it, and whoever was holding him lost their grip on him. He greedily grabbed at the ring, and one of his fingers made contact. Suddenly, he felt a tugging at his navel. Realization hit him hard, and much too late. The ring was a portkey.

----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Response to Reviews**  
  
_fINeLInEbETwEeNLoVeANdHAtE_ – I'm glad you like my story so much, thanks for your compliments! -beams- Oh, and I'm not quite sure what the sequel's going to be called yet, but I'll let you guys know in the last chapter. :)  
  
_PinkPixieDust16_ – Hehe, I'm very happy that you are so "in" to my story. It's nice to know! And yes, the sequel is going to be in the 7th year. I will be updating as often as I can!  
  
_wordwiz8121_ – I'll keep that in mind. ;)  
  
_SmileyMare181_0 – As far as why Harry doesn't use the Marauder's Map, my guess would be that he was so shocked that she was gone that it didn't cross his mind. (In other words, it didn't cross my mind...lol) Oh and too bad about the whole horses thing...ah well.  
  
_P4L_ – Well, nice to know my chapters aren't too long, at least. And yes, I'm an evil cliffy writer. I think that cliffies are nice towards the end of a story...kinda adds to the climax, ya know? Oh and you will definitely be seeing a sequel, no worries!  
  
_Tumblechick_ – Yes, it was rather evil, wasn't it? I'm not sure if this chapter was much better as far as evilness goes, though...  
  
_sun-star-n-moon22_ – Hehe, thanks for the comments! Sorry for being so evil with the cliffies all of a sudden! They are rather fun to write, though...oh and yeah, Lupin and Tonks just seemed to work together him my mind, so I went ahead and put that in there.  
  
_Kittie Riddle_ – If I told you what happens next, there would be no story! -wink, wink- And her parents identities will be revealed soon...well, at least her mothers will be. I'm still debating on whether to save her father's for the sequel or not. Evil, aren't I? ;)  
  
_Peanutbutta363_6 – Yay, glad you appreciated all those extra little parts I threw in. Thanks for your reviews!  
  
_Dobby's #1 Fan_ – Yeah, fanfiction . net has been acting up with chapter 42 – it keeps telling me that the chapter does not exist...but usually if I press refresh, it loads. Dunno if anyone else is having that problem.  
  
_Tekvah Ariel_ – I think I answered the Marauder's Map question...see SmileyMare's response. And nah, I'm not gonna kill off Silver right now. Death Eater statuses – ugh. I can't remember all those names. Basically, most of them are in Azkaban...well, not anymore in my story, but in the real books they are.  
  
I would also like to thank _HoofsTails Gal_ and _Chocolatehundreddollarbill_ for their awesome reviews!


	44. Cup of Tea

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Comments:** Sorry it took so long for this chapter, but it just would not come out the way I wanted it to! I still feel I could have made it a bit better, or at least longer...oh yes, and I've come to a decision which you all are going to kill me for. I am _fairly_ sure that I am going to withhold Silver's parents' identity until the sequel. I am absolutely sure about withholding her father's, but her mother's I might reveal in the next chapter. Might.  
  
Oh yes, and I find it quite amusing that a few of you have made a reference to LOTR. I never really meant for that to happen, and I didn't realize it until you guys told me. Heehee. Oh well.  
  
**Chapter 44 – Cup of Tea**  
  
Harry hit the ground with a thud that made him dizzy. For a moment he just stared at the cold, stone floor in front of him. Then he slowly and groggily sat up and looked around. For a moment, his vision was blurry. All he knew was that he was in a very dark, cold room. Slowly, everything began to come into focus. In front of him, all with their backs turned, were many more Death Eaters than he would like to count, all of them bowing towards a tall figure seated atop a stone throne. There was no doubt that it was Voldemort. Harry looked down at his hand to discover that the ring that he had been grasping was gone. He glanced up at Voldemort, who was busy giving a speech to a particular Death Eater kneeled at his feet. Harry then realized that he was out in the open, and probably very conspicuous. Although he would like nothing better than to punch Voldemort in the nose for whatever he had done to Silver, another half of him wanted to get back to her. He hadn't been ready to leave just then. He glanced around for the ring that he had previously held in his fist, and saw that it had fallen in between two kneeling Death Eaters. He must have thrown it on accident when he landed. There was no way he could chance getting it.  
  
He looked up towards Voldemort again, and saw a heap of diamonds in the shadows by his throne. _Diamonds?_ he thought, _Not diamonds...Silver's robes!_ Anger and recklessness began to wash over him in waves, each more powerful than the last. He opened his mouth to yell, but abruptly snapped it shut. _You didn't even say goodbye to Silver_, an unfamiliar voice in his head scolded, _Getting back to her is more important than killing yourself because you're angry at Voldemort_. Harry edged towards a wooden table that was in the corner and crouched in it's shadows, thinking hard. _But that little bastard deserves to pay!_ another, more familiar voice yelled loudly. _And if you get yourself killed, Silver will pay!_ the other one argued. Harry put his hands to his head and suppressed a groan. He was beginning to get a headache. _Fine_, he thought suddenly, _I won't do anything stupid...I'll just grab Silver's clothes, grab the ring, and get out. Simple enough_.  
  
He got up and began to edge his way along the far wall towards Silver's clothing. When he finally came into seeing range of the Death Eaters, he slowed his pace. None of them paid any attention to him, however, they were all watching and listening to Voldemort intently. Harry suddenly heard a snatch of the conversation. Voldemort gave a cold chuckle that caused a shiver to go down Harry's spine.  
  
"Yes, yes, we will soon be having fun with what Lucius and I call our little flower," Voldemort was announcing.  
  
_Lucius? LUCIUS?_ Harry thought furiously.  
  
"Oh you will, will you?" he asked angrily.  
  
_There goes the plan_, the voice in his head said disappointedly.  
  
The entire crowd of Death Eaters and Voldemort all whirled around to look at him. He was faced with the uncomfortable realization that there was a wall behind him, and a wall of Death Eaters in front of him.  
  
"Well, well, look who's decided to join us," Voldemort said, his voice laced with amusement.  
  
Harry opened his mouth and then snapped it shut for the second time in less than ten minutes. _Just shut up and get to the ring_, his mind yelled angrily, _Voldemort's not even supposed to know that you know Silver!  
_  
"Cat got your tongue?" Voldemort inquired.  
  
Harry looked into the red, snakelike eyes, and felt a twinge of uncertainty. He suddenly remembered his and Silver's conversation about the prophecy. "I'm not planning on losing," he had told her. "What if you do?" she had asked tearfully. "It's not even an option," had been his reply. But he hadn't been counting on facing Voldemort, in person, so soon. _So what_? the voice in his head said boastfully, _You can take him on now! You have power that he knows not! Of course, if you knew what that power was, it might help a tiny bit...  
_  
"Damn," he muttered, for lack of anything else to say.  
  
Voldemort chuckled.  
  
"What's the matter, Harry?" he asked, a mockingly cheerful note to his voice, "Don't you want to be here?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry answered sarcastically, "I was bored, so I just thought I'd drop by and maybe we'd have a cup of tea."  
  
"Such good humor for someone who's about to die," Voldemort commented, "Your father wasn't nearly so cheerful."  
  
Harry felt a surge of anger pass through him. He pointed his wand at Voldemort threateningly.  
  
"Don't talk about my father," he said coldly.  
  
Voldemort laughed, and a shiver went up Harry's spine. "I'll talk about whatever I wish, boy," he said, and then, his voice a soft hiss, "Don't tell me what to do."  
  
"I'll tell you whatever I want," Harry answered hotly.  
  
Before he knew what was happening, Voldemort's wand was pointed at him and the Cruciatus curse was headed his way. Death Eaters flew out of the way as if they were being blown to the side. It hit him, and hot pain surged through his body. His head was about to split open where his scar was, and he fell to the ground, curling into a fetal position. He couldn't tell if he was screaming or not, the pain was so intense, but when the curse was lifted, Voldemort was laughing, and so he assumed he had been.  
  
"Now, boy," Voldemort said, "You will die."  
  
_He's sure cutting to the chase quickly_, Harry thought to himself, _Although if I had wanted to kill someone for sixteen years and he always managed to escape at the last minute, I'd probably finish him off pretty quickly._ Harry raised his wand subtly, ready to shout out every single curse or hex that he had ever learned and hope that he could end up with one of his arms intact, but he was interrupted.  
  
A loud crack could suddenly be heard, and an unmistakable masked figure Apparated at the foot of Voldemort's throne. Voldemort surveyed Snape distastefully.  
  
"I haven't summoned you," he informed him finally.  
  
Snape straightened and began to walk towards Harry. He pushed his way through the Death Eaters until he was right in the middle of them and Harry.  
  
"Snape," Voldemort hissed, "I have not summoned you."  
  
Snape turned towards Voldemort and took off his mask. Audible gasps went through the Death Eaters. Harry supposed it was a sign of disrespect. Snape held his wand out in front of him, and a small ball of green light appeared at the tip. If it hadn't been such a serious moment, Harry would have laughed at the look of confusion on Voldemort's face. Snape muttered something, and the green ball of light began to expand, reminding Harry oddly of his torch.  
  
"Get him!" Voldemort suddenly cried.  
  
The Death Eaters exchanged glances and then lunged forward. As they did so, the ball of light seemed to explode, enfolding Snape in a green shield. It looked as if a tornado were taking place within the bubble, for Snape's hair and robes blew every which way. A string of bright white light went from the tip of his wand to the top of the globe he was standing in. Confused, and probably scared, the Death Eaters paused. One of them took a bold step forwards, apparently expecting to make it through the green shield, but as soon as contact was made, a kind of electrical force shot up their leg, making them scream and then fall to the ground.  
  
"The boy!" Voldemort said, apparently changing his mind, "Get the boy instead!"  
  
Snape whirled to face Harry with a menacing look on his face – or was it a grimace?  
  
"What are you waiting for?" he demanded, "Get inside!"  
  
"What?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
He would rather be taken by the Death Eaters than be fried trying to step into some weird green bubble.  
  
"_Get. Inside. Now_," Snape commanded, saying each word with painstaking exaction.  
  
Harry stubbornly stayed where he was, which was pressed against the wall about three feet away from the edge of the bubble, as the Death Eaters swarmed around on both sides towards him.  
  
"Foolish, impertinent, disobedient..." Snape raged.  
  
Harry couldn't help but smirk.  
  
"_Accio Potter_!" Snape yelled suddenly.  
  
_He can't do that,_ Harry thought, _Not without using his wa...  
_  
Suddenly he was pulled forward as if he were tied to the back of the Hogwarts Express. He didn't even feel himself pass through the shield; the only thing he felt was Snape stagger backwards as he smashed into him. Snape pushed him away roughly, and Harry fell hard on his bottom. He let out a few choice swear words that made Snape look down at him in a mixture of amusement and disgust.  
  
"Don't tempt me to dock points from Gryffindor," he said.  
  
Harry was surprised that he could hear Snape what with all the wind that was inside of the bubble...or shield...whatever it was. It felt as if he were in the middle of a whirlwind, but the wind wasn't pushing him to the sides, it was merely blowing around him, and bouncing off. He was also surprised that Snape was treating the situation so lightly. He struggled to get his thoughts together. When he finally did, all he could think was, _Snape is definitely going to get killed for doing this. Silver is going to have a heart attack and die when she finds out._ He took a deep breath. At this stage, there was only one thing to do, and that was to help Snape...at least until Voldemort killed him...or both of them, for that matter. _Torch_, he thought, _I need the torch_. He took it out, but Snape saw.  
  
"Put it away, Potter," he spat, "We don't need to be blinded right now."  
  
Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Snape cut him off, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Listen, Potter, you _must not_ let the Dark Lord see that weapon. Put it away this instant."  
  
Harry grudgingly put it in his pocket.  
  
"Now summon the ring," Snape commanded.  
  
"No," Harry answered flatly.  
  
At the same time that he spoke, Voldemort did as well. "SEVERUS!" he roared, his voice echoing through the room, "_What_ are you doing?"  
  
Snape turned to face him unblinkingly. "I'm saving Potter," he announced.  
  
A look of pure shock registered on Voldemort's face, and Harry couldn't help but grin. He doubted Voldemort had ever been quite so confused. Voldemort's face suddenly grew hard.  
  
"Get the ring," Snape hissed.  
  
"TRAITOR!" Voldemort roared.  
  
At the same time, Harry answered, "No!"  
  
"Summon the bloody ring before you no longer have a chance!" Snape exclaimed impatiently.  
  
"But..." Harry began.  
  
He was drowned out by Voldemort. "I do not tolerate traitorous acts. You shall pay, Snape, and pay dearly." He was looking at Snape with an intense dislike, and although his voice was calm, it was ten times louder than Harry's.  
  
"Get. The. Ring," Snape said calmly, his eyes locked with Voldemort's. He spoke quietly enough that Voldemort couldn't hear them, and Harry did the same, although his temper was rising.  
  
"I won't get the ring," Harry argued, "_I'm_ the one who can defeat Voldemort."  
  
"Now, Snape," Voldemort was saying, fingering his wand as he surveyed the two inside the shield, "You do realize that your silly bubble cannot stop the force of my spells?"  
  
"Listen, Potter," Snape said, completely ignoring Voldemort, "I'm not here to defeat him. You can do that later. As of now, you and I both know that you are not ready..."  
  
"I am too," Harry answered.  
  
"...normally, death would be inflicted, but I think we'll have a bit of fun first, shan't we?" Voldemort was inquiring silkily.  
  
"Potter," Snape began, but he was cut off.  
  
"_Crucio_!" Voldemort hissed, his eyes seeming to glow in their sockets.  
  
A red light traveled down the white line of electricity that was connected to Snape's wand, and his body and face contorted in pain. He still held his wand arm up, although Harry could tell that he would not be able to do so for much longer.  
  
"Go...to...Silver," Snape breathed, "Now."  
  
Harry put one hand on Snape's arm as he pulled out his wand, but Snape moved out of reach.  
  
"Don't take me," he whispered amidst Voldemort's laughs.  
  
"Why not?" Harry demanded, "Silver will..."  
  
"Get over it," Snape finished shortly, his breathing shallow, "Right now...he needs to be...kept busy. He can't know...about Silver...until she's...with Dumbledore."  
  
"Your shield will not hold much longer, Snape!" Voldemort was crying triumphantly.  
  
"_Go_," Snape hissed at Harry.  
  
Harry looked Snape straight in the eye. "Silver needs you," he said.  
  
"The world...needs you," Snape replied, pausing to wince, "You have...the world...and I...have her."  
  
Snape's knees were beginning to buckle, but he stayed standing with much effort.  
  
"You are the world to her," Harry replied, "Just come, let me take you."  
  
"Get...lost...Potter," Snape grunted, "I'm...not planning...on dying...today. But you...have...to go."  
  
A thousand thoughts chased around in Harry's mind. He wasn't sure if he should leave Snape or not. _A year ago, I would have grabbed the ring and hauled off_, he thought to himself. But this wasn't a year ago – Silver had changed everything. He wasn't sure how she would react to the news that he had simply left Snape in Voldemort's chambers.  
  
"Potter!" Snape exclaimed harshly, although Harry wasn't sure if it was from impatience of the amount of pain he was feeling.  
  
Harry took a deep breath and made a decision.  
  
"_Accio Ring_," he yelled.  
  
A fleck of gold shot towards him. Snape's shield suddenly vanished, and he crumpled to the ground. Harry immediately felt he had made the wrong decision. Snape managed to bring his head up to look at Voldemort as the ring landed in Harry's hand. Harry watched as his eyes, filled with defeat, landed on the pile of silvery robes next to Voldemort's throne. A remarkable change came over them – the defeat vanished completely, to be replaced by determination and hate.  
  
"Bastard!" Snape shouted, bitter accusing filling his voice.  
  
That was the last Harry heard or saw before he felt a tugging at his navel, and he was no longer in the cold, dark room.

--------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Response to Reviews**  
  
_Black and Potter_ – You'll find out a bit about what happened to Silver in either the next chapter or the one after, I haven't decided yet, and you'll find out more in the sequel. Sadly, I'm not going to reveal her parents' identities...or at least her father's, until the sequel. –wince- Don't hurt me, though! And no, there shouldn't be a gap in between this and the sequel, no worries!  
  
_Tumblechick_ – Yeah, everyone should be finding out what happened to Silver in either the next chapter or the one after, no worries. Anyway, thanks for your review!  
  
_fINeLInEbETwEeNLoVeANdHAtE_ – Yeah, that's Harry for ya. We'll find out more about the ring and Harry and what happened to Silver in the next two chapters or so. Oh and sorry to disrupt your reviewing routine. ;) This chapter was a pain in the butt – I can't seem to get it quite right.  
  
_sun-star-n-moon22_ – Me? Write cliffies? I don't know what you're talking about. Okay, so I do. But they add to the excitement, right? And LOL about the LOTR thing...read my comments at the top of the page.  
  
_PinkPixieDust16_ – Yeah, Voldemort's pretty...bad...for a bad guy, at least. Hehe. We should be finding out about what happened to Silver in the next two chapters...or at least part of what happened to her. And nah, I'm thinking the last chapter is going to be a non-cliffy, since I've been torturing you guys so much already. ;)  
  
_Dobby's #1 Fan_ – Sorry for all the evil cliffies! At least I'll have them all out of my system at the beginning of the sequel! ;) And yeah, as I've said before and you've probably read in the other responses, we'll be learning a bit about what happened to Silver within the next two chapters.  
  
_Kittie Riddle_ – Yes – I'm addicted! ;)  
  
I would also like to thank _Amber, Keri, harryptaxd204, Dbish403, DiAmOnDs ArE a GiRlS BeSt FrIeNd!, P4L, Chocolatehundreddollarbill, LoveIsAGame2PeopleCanPlayAndBothWin!, Strawby168, SmileyMare1810, HoofsTails Gal, wiccanpriestess3451, Retrieve the Melon, Roxoan, wordwiz812, Arya Raven, Tekvah Ariel_, and _Icy-Shadow_ for their awesome beyond awesome reviews!


	45. What Happened

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.

**Comments**: Yeah, so I couldn't really think of a name for this chapter. Oh well, it kind of makes sense. I went on a writing spree today! Can you tell? And lookie, I'm a good widdle writer, two chappies in one day! -pats self on head-

-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter 45 – What Happened**  
  
Harry's landing was actually a bit more graceful this time – it was on his feet, at least, in the same corner of the room where he had found the ring. The ring, which he had been grasping tightly, slipped from his fingers as he landed, and he immediately bent to pick it up, but shot backwards suddenly upon remembering that it was a portkey. He carefully tore a bit of his shirt off and wrapped the ring in it. Then, he put it in his pocket and looked around. He distinctly heard voices coming from outside. He cautiously stepped into the doorway, and somebody gave a yelp of surprise.  
  
He heard his name being shouted by everybody there, and they all rushed up to him. Silver reached him first, and reached out to enfold him in a hug, but her fingers barely touched his shoulder before he jumped away.  
  
"Ouch!" he exclaimed, glaring at her unintentionally.  
  
She tilted her head to the side questioningly.  
  
"The Cruciatus Curse," he explained.  
  
"Oh, Harry," she sighed, sympathy evident in her eyes. Although she kept her distance, it was evident that she wanted nothing more than to run into his arms.  
  
Harry suddenly noticed Hermione whispering something in Ron's ear. His eyes widened, and he exchanged a glance with Hermione. They both looked at Harry extremely hard, and he felt uncomfortable. Hermione proceeded to whisper in both Lupin and Tonks' ears, and in the end, they were all looking at Harry with that same look. He looked downwards and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.  
  
"So..." Lupin said, "What happened?"  
  
"Well, I got transported to wherever Voldemort is," Harry said, "Nobody saw me at first, and I had dropped the ring in between two Death Eaters, so I was going to go and get Silver's clothes, and then get the ring, and leave."  
  
"You didn't have to get my clothes, Harry," Silver said chidingly.  
  
"Yeah well..." he said unapologetically, "Anyway, Voldemort caught me...well, I kind of attracted attention to myself, and then..."  
  
Harry suddenly trailed off. _And then Snape came_, he thought. He looked down at Silver, and then up at the others.  
  
"What is it, Harry?" Silver asked.  
  
"Well...and then..." he paused, "And then Snape came."  
  
Silver's eyes widened. She took a step backwards, realization flooding her eyes.  
  
"And...and then?" she asked softly.  
  
"Well, he made this kind of green bubble-shield thing, and it protected us from the other Death Eaters," Harry said slowly, "And then I...I summoned the ring..."  
  
He was careful to leave out the part about Snape being tortured and sentenced to death, but he didn't think it was doing much good as he looked at her. Her eyes began to water at an amazingly fast rate.  
  
"Harry..." she choked, "Where...where is he now?"  
  
Harry looked at the ground avoiding her gaze.  
  
"The shield, it will protect him, won't it?" she asked.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"What? What do you mean?" she questioned, beginning to sound frantic.  
  
"It...Silver...it won't work against Voldemort's spells," he said.  
  
"But...he's not...he's not...Harry, is he..." she didn't finish, but when he met her gaze, she was looking at him pleadingly. He looked back down at the ground.  
  
"No," she said, "He's not. No. Please, Harry."  
  
Harry ran a hand through his hair. _What would be a good way to say it?_ he wondered, _"No, he wasn't dead when I left, but he doesn't stand a chance?"  
  
_"Well he...he wasn't dead when I left," Harry said slowly, "So...I don't know what happened."  
  
He looked up at the others helplessly. They all had realization written all over their faces.  
  
"Then he's not dead," Silver said decidedly, "He's alive."  
  
"Well, you never know," Lupin said reasonably, "But Silver, you have to understand, it would be an incredible feat to be able to live when Voldemort wants you dead."  
  
Harry glanced at Silver. She had her eyes squeezed shut, as if trying to block everyone out. She lifted her face upwards, her lips pursed in concentration.  
  
"Silver?" Lupin asked.  
  
"I know," she said quietly, "I know. But he's alive."  
  
Harry squeezed his own eyes shut and pressed his hands over them. He wanted a time-turner more than anything at that moment. He would go back in time, and take Snape back with him. Or better yet, he wouldn't touch the dratted ring at all. Or, he would just stop Silver from leaving the ball. _To think this all started on Valentines Day_, he thought wryly.  
  
"Silver, you can't be sure," Lupin said, his own voice quiet.  
  
"But I know it, I just know it!" she said, "I can feel it. He...he might have run away, or, or..."  
  
Harry personally felt that Snape was in no condition to run anywhere after the effects of the Cruciatus curse, and knew he was going to have to tell her so.  
  
"...or Voldemort may have forgiven him, or..."  
  
_There's a laugh_, Harry thought, _Voldemort forgiving. She's just going to have to face that Snape is dead. There's no way that he survived, I mean, he could barely lift up his head._  
  
"...or..." Silver was desperately trying to think up some way that Snape might be alive.  
  
"Perhaps he Disapparated?" somebody suggested.  
  
"Yes!" she exclaimed triumphantly, "He disapparated!"  
  
Harry opened his eyes and looked at Ron, whom he assumed had said it. Ron was looking right back at him.  
  
"Ron, I don't think he could have Disapparated," Harry said blandly.  
  
"Okay...so why'd you suggest it then?" Ron replied.  
  
"What? Me? I didn't," Harry answered, turning to Lupin.  
  
"Don't look at me," Lupin said.  
  
The three of them turned to look at Tonks.  
  
"Oh, come on, my voice doesn't sound anything like that!" Tonks exclaimed.  
  
When they looked at Hermione, she rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course it was me, because I sound just like that," she said sarcastically.  
  
Suddenly Silver gave a gleeful laugh.  
  
"Where are you?" she called, lifting her face upwards, as if expecting an answer from the heavens.  
  
"Silver!" Hermione exclaimed, "You don't even know who said that!"  
  
Silver laughed in reply.  
  
"Silver, stop it," Tonks said, "You're inviting a stranger..."  
  
Suddenly, Silver took off towards the house, but instead of going in it, she went around it. She rounded the corner and they heard a scream. Exchanging glances, they took off after her. _Great_, Harry thought, _Now she's gone and gotten attacked by a Death Eater_. They all rounded the corner with their wands drawn out and pointed in front of them, only to stop and gape. Silver was jumping up and down in front of a bloody and bruised Snape. Snape was watching her bounce with an amused look on his face, despite his physical state.  
  
"Severus?" Tonks asked.  
  
He gave her an annoyed look. "Yes?" he asked evenly.  
  
"How?" Lupin questioned for her.  
  
I thought I just told you," Snape replied, "I Disapparated."  
  
"But you said that coming through that town was the only way to get here," Hermione said.  
  
"Yes, I did," Snape replied, "And I was mistaken. The only ways to get here are either coming through the town, or Disapparating to a clearing in that forest..." he paused and pointed behind the house, where a thick forest was, "...and then coming here. At least, as far as I know."  
  
"Oh," Hermione said, looking at the forest with interest.  
  
"How come we didn't just go to the forest to begin with?" Harry asked, a bit angrily, "I mean, we had to walk through that horrible..."  
  
"Shut it, Potter," Snape said irritably, "I didn't know that you could Apparate to the forest until just now. That's where it took me when I attempted to Apparate here. I must say, it was a better outcome than I expected."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes and grudgingly closed his mouth. Silver was bouncing up and down on her tiptoes, her hands clasped together in front of her chest, looking as though at any moment she was going to launch herself at Snape. She was paying absolutely no attention to anyone else; in fact, Harry doubted if she would have known they were there if Snape hadn't been talking to them.  
  
"We should go," Snape commented as he looked at her, "We'll use the forest again."  
  
Everybody either nodded or murmured their agreement, and began to head towards the forest.  
  
"You can't walk!" Silver exclaimed suddenly.  
  
They all looked back at Snape, who was limping badly off his right leg. He shuffled along, wincing each time his left foot came in contact with the ground.  
  
"Easier...in...forest," he grunted, "Trees."  
  
The forest was about ten feet away from them, but Harry wasn't sure if Snape could make it.  
  
"Severus," Lupin said cautiously, "How about we levitate you?"  
  
Snape looked up with a deadly glare. "I can make it fine on my own, thank you," he said coldly.  
  
Lupin looked as if he were about to protest, but Silver beat him to it.  
  
"Please, can't we just levitate you and let you rest?" she begged, laying her fingers gently on his arm and giving him a pleading look, "I don't want you to get any more hurt than you already are."  
  
"No," Snape snapped, refusing to make eye contact with her, "I'm...fine."  
  
He attempted to take normal sized steps, and he gasped as his face contorted in pain.  
  
Giving no sign that she had seen his struggle, Silver stepped in front of him and rose on her tiptoes. He glared over her head. A small smile on her face, she waited patiently in front of him. Finally, he looked down at her.  
  
"You're in my way, child," he informed her.  
  
"Please let us levitate you," she begged.  
  
"No."  
  
"_Please_?"  
  
He looked upwards quickly as she pleaded with him with her eyes. He glanced back down and made an exasperated noise when he saw that her expression had not changed.  
  
"Fine," he relented.  
  
Silver beamed, and stepped aside as Tonks and Lupin got out their wands. Snape made quite a fuss when they refused to let him down when they reached the forest, but rather insisted on carrying him all the way to the clearing.  
  
"I TELL YOU, I'M FINE!"  
  
"Come now, it must feel good to rest," Silver prompted.  
  
"It most certainly does not," he answered, glaring at her coldly, "I want down."  
  
"You're such a baby," she informed him, flipping her hair over her shoulder.  
  
"I am _not_," he argued.  
  
"Then stop whining," she replied.  
  
Snape made a face at her in a very childish way, and Ron had a suspicious coughing fit.  
  
"Is this it?" Tonks asked suddenly, interrupting the death glare Snape was giving Ron.  
  
In front of them the trees opened up to a small, grassy circle. It looked like a very peaceful place, except that one patch of grass was stained red with blood. Everyone's eyes traveled from it to the gash in Snape's shoulder, as if on cue.  
  
"Yes, this is it" Snape said, glaring at everyone who was staring at him and shifting his shoulder uncomfortably, "Now put me down, for the love of Merlin!"  
  
Tonks and Lupin obediently complied, gently setting Snape down. For a moment everybody looked at the obviously worn out Potions Master. As bad as it sounded, they all knew that his future was not looking so good at the moment. He had managed to escape Voldemort's wrath once, but, to put it frankly, he was not, under any circumstances, Harry Potter.  
  
"So, ah, who's going to hang on to the kids?" Lupin asked suddenly, breaking everyone out of their reveries.  
  
"I'll take the girls and you can take the boys," Tonks offered.  
  
"Alri-"Lupin began agreeably.  
  
"No," Snape contradicted, "I'll be taking Silver."  
  
Tonks and Lupin exchanged glances.  
  
"Are you...are you sure you're up for that, Severus?" Lupin ventured, "It would probably be easier for you to just Apparate yourself..."  
  
"No, it wouldn't, as a matter of fact," Snape snapped.  
  
Tonks sighed. "Just let him take her, Remus," she said, as Lupin opened his mouth to argue.  
  
Lupin nodded. "You first, then," he said, motioning to Snape, "The Shrieking Shack, of course."  
  
Snape looked at Silver, and she tentatively stepped beside him, with about three feet in between them.  
  
"Come here, child," he said, sounding exasperated.  
  
"I don't want to hurt you, though," she protested.  
  
"Just come," Snape answered.  
  
She looked at Harry questioningly, and he gave her a brief nod. She scooted closer to Snape, and he put one arm around her, shut his eyes in concentration, and they disappeared with a pop.  
  
"Right then, you next," Lupin said to Tonks.  
  
Tonks put an arm around Hermione, and they vanished. Lupin put one arm each around Ron and Harry's shoulders, and the next thing Harry knew, they were standing in the living room of an extremely old wooden house. Some claw marks on the wall caught Harry's attention, and when he looked at Lupin, he saw that Lupin was looking at them, as well. He realized that they were probably Lupin's own.  
  
"As enchanting as strolls down memory lane can be, let's get a move on, shall we?" Snape asked, his sarcastic voice cutting through the silence.  
  
He received many glares, and a look of sympathy from Silver which Harry completely did not understand. However, after looking at Silver, he seemed quite satisfied with himself. Tonks and Lupin began to withdraw their wands, and he glared at them suspiciously.  
  
"What are you doing?" he demanded.  
  
Both of them looked surprised.  
  
"Well, levitating you of course," Lupin said finally.  
  
"I think not," Snape said coldly.  
  
"What?" Tonks, Lupin, and Silver chorused.  
  
"I will not be disgraced in such a way," Snape hissed.  
  
"It wouldn't be disgraceful," Silver protested.  
  
"I'm walking," was his firm reply.  
  
Everyone's eyes traveled to the stairs.  
  
"Can we at least levitate you up the stairs?" Silver ventured meekly.  
  
"No."  
  
She sighed. "You're infuriating," she informed him.  
  
"I've obviously been spending too much time with you, then," he answered.  
  
He began to head for the stairs at a slow shuffle.  
  
Silver giggled. "I think it's the other way around," she informed him.  
  
He merely looked at her and shook his head. When they reached the staircase, Snape didn't hesitate for one moment before putting one hand on the railing and using it to help lift him up onto the first stair. It was slow business, but he made it with no complaints. Silver watched him worriedly the entire time.  
  
"I'm going to have Remus walk next to you," she said suddenly.  
  
He gave her a sharp look. "Why?" he demanded.  
  
"Because...I'm scared you're going to fall," she said.  
  
"I won't fall," he replied.  
  
"You're going to keel over any minute," she insisted.  
  
"Don't make me sound old," was his reply.  
  
"You are," she answered, a hint of teasing in her voice.  
  
He gave her a look which clearly stated that he did not appreciate her comment.  
  
"I was just kidding!" she exclaimed, "But really, Remus needs to walk next to you."  
  
"I think not," he answered dryly.  
  
"Well, I think so," she answered.  
  
The two argued all the way to the tunnel which led to the Whomping Willow, which was actually a very long time, considering the pace Snape was traveling at. Neither of them gave an inch to the other the entire time.  
  
"Fine," Snape said suddenly, "Just shut your mouth and leave me in peace!"  
  
Instead of looking insulted, Silver looked pleased as she dropped back to allow Lupin to take her place. Looking extremely amused, Lupin stepped forward. Silver fell into step beside Harry, and he immediately put an arm around her and drew her close, wincing as he did so. Every inch of his body was still sore from the Cruciatus curse, but he had an intense desire to hold her in his arms and never let go.  
  
"Harry, you're hurting yourself!" she exclaimed, attempting to pull away.  
  
"No I'm not...ah!" he exclaimed.  
  
He had pulled her a bit too close, and a wave of pain had shot through the side of his body.  
  
"Harry, I don't want to hurt you," she said, snaking out of his grasp.  
  
He clutched his side in reply. "Okay...just...walk...with me," he answered.  
  
She fell into step beside him, and when he looked up at her, he saw tears in her eyes.  
  
"What is it?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself, and Harry understood.  
  
"I can still hold you," he said, reaching out for her, but she jumped away.  
  
"No, Harry," she said, "Just...stop."  
  
He sighed and let his arms fall back to his sides. He didn't truthfully know if he would have been able to bear holding her, he was so sore. When they finally came to the exit, Lupin expertly used a long stick on the ground to prod the knot while everyone exited. Afterwards, he made a spectacular exit from the tree's flailing branches that made Tonks and Hermione nearly double over with laughter. It was a slow trek to the castle, and it was evident that Snape was furthering his pain with every step, but he determinedly continued on.  
  
When they walked through the castle doors, they were subject to more than a few strange looks. Several people called their friends over to watch the strange procession make their way towards Dumbledore's office. Harry could see why. Lupin, Tonks, Hermione, and Ron looked thoroughly worn out, whilst he and Snape were bruised all over. Snape also appeared to be literally on his last leg as he shuffled through the hallways, a grim expression on his face, and blood trickling down his shoulder. And then there was Silver, whom appeared to be wrapped in a black towel, and nothing else. The moment they had entered, Silver had fled to Tonks, who was really the only one available to hide her from the curious stares.  
  
Soon, the gargoyle came into view, and if Harry wasn't mistaken, Snape quickened his pace a bit. Suddenly, Professor McGonagall came flying around the corner, nearly crashing into Snape, which, needless to say, would have been disastrous. Snape gave her a glare, but she merely gasped upon seeing him.  
  
"What happened to you?" she exclaimed.  
  
Her gaze traveled to Harry. "And you!"  
  
She didn't bother to look at the others, she simply ran up to the gargoyle, yelled a password, and waited for them all to pass through. It was slow business, getting up the slightly windy staircase with Snape in the lead. Although he never would have admitted it, he lost his balance a few times, and had to be steadied by Lupin. In each case, he yanked his arm out of Lupin's grasp and glared at him fiercely. Finally, they reached the top. Lupin opened the door, and they slowly filed in. Dumbledore's eyes did not manage to completely hide his surprise as he looked at them. Snape desperately made his way towards a chair, and then, wincing before anything had even happened, sat down in it. He then let out more than a few swear words, grimacing and gritting his teeth as he did so.  
  
"I daresay a Muscle Relief Potion is in order," Dumbledore observed, "And you too, Harry?"  
  
Harry had been slowly easing himself down in a loveseat, squeezing his eyes shut and wincing.  
  
"Yeah," he croaked as he sat down.  
  
Dumbledore opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out a forest green potion.  
  
"I'm afraid I only have one at the moment," he stated.  
  
"The boy," Snape grunted, obviously still in pain from sitting down, "Give it to the boy."  
  
"No," Harry began, "You're more-"  
  
"Shut up, Potter," Snape cut off, "Just shut up and drink it."  
  
Harry obediently took the potion from Dumbledore, who was smart enough not to argue with Snape at the moment, and drank it. A tingling coldness flowed through his body, easing his aches and causing his muscles to relax. As he finished, he allowed himself to sink into the sofa contentedly. Dumbledore observed him approvingly.  
  
"Minerva," he said, transferring his gaze to Professor McGonagall, "Would you please go down to Madam Pomfrey and obtain another vial?"  
  
"Two," Snape grunted from his chair.  
  
"Another two vials," Dumbledore corrected himself.  
  
"Certainly," Professor McGonagall said.  
  
She turned around, but as she did, her eyes caught on Silver, who had been edging closer to Harry. Her eyes widened as she surveyed her.  
  
"Merlin, child, where are your clothes?" she exclaimed.  
  
For a moment, there was no response, but then, very suddenly, Silver burst into tears, almost as if she had just remembered what had happened to her. Professor McGonagall looked shocked.  
  
"Silver," Harry said quietly.  
  
She needed no further urging to run into his arms. He pulled her close to him, reveling in her closeness and warmth. He turned his face into the side of her head, closing his eyes to the softness of her hair. He pressed a kiss into it, and lowered his lips down to her ear.  
  
"It's alright," he whispered, "You're okay."  
  
Her sobs subsided to quiet shaking against him, her face buried in the crook of his neck. He heard Professor McGonagall leave the room, and reluctantly drew his head back to look at Dumbledore.  
  
"Miss Granger," he said quietly, "I don't suppose you would mind running and fetching Miss Riddle some clothes?"  
  
"Of course not," Hermione replied, and with that, she was gone.  
  
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, watching Silver intently.  
  
Harry turned his attention back to her, murmuring comforting words into her ear.  
  
"Harry," she whispered, so softly that he could hardly hear her, "I was really scared."  
  
"I know," he whispered back.  
  
He was about to say, 'You don't have to be scared of me,' when he remembered the look she had given him when she had just come up the stairway.  
  
"Are you scared of me?" he asked instead.  
  
"Oh, no, Harry," she whispered, tightening her arms around him, "Of course not."  
  
"Good," he answered, kissing the side of her head once more.  
  
He rubbed small circles on her back, and she relaxed into his arms. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back slightly, tightening his hold on her as he did so. The feel of her breath on his neck reassured and relaxed him greatly, and he allowed himself to match his breathing with hers. All too soon, Hermione arrived back, along with Professor McGonagall, who looked wholeheartedly disapproving of the position Harry and Silver were in.  
  
"I believe, Miss Riddle, that you will find a very suitable changing closet through that door," Dumbledore announced, pointing to a small wooden door in the back corner of the room.  
  
Silver nodded and wiped at her eyes as she drew away from Harry and accepted a bundle of clothing from Hermione. Once she disappeared into the closet, Dumbledore proceeded to place a silencing charm on the door. Then, he turned to Snape, who had just gulped down both the Muscle Relief potions. Harry wasn't sure if Dumbledore had ever looked so grim.  
  
"I take it she wasn't wearing the towel when you found her?" he inquired.  
  
"Ah...no," Snape replied, placing the empty vials on a table next to him, "That was my cloak...a piece of my cloak."  
  
Dumbledore fixed Snape with a questioning look.  
  
"No," Snape answered, "Only she did."  
  
He motioned to Tonks at the last part of his answer, and Harry could guess what the question had been.  
  
"Has she told you what happened?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Snape shook his head. "She was shaking badly, though, and crying," he said. He shook his head as if trying to rid himself of the memory.  
  
Then something hit Harry. "Voldemort said that he and Lucius did something to her," he said.  
  
"LUCIUS?" Snape roared, jumping up from his chair and withdrawing his wand, looking as if he were about to go hunting for Lucius.  
  
"Sit down, Severus. I daresay it's a good thing I put that silencing charm on the door," Dumbledore said, and then, turning to Harry, "I have two questions for you. My first is how Lucius has escaped from Azkaban."  
  
"Voldemort," Harry answered, "He let all the Death Eaters go."  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Right then, secondly, how did you come to encounter Voldemort?"  
  
Harry blushed at the reminder of his own stupidity...or, as Snape would probably put it, foolishness. "Well...there was this ring on the ground, and I really wanted to touch it. I don't know why, I just had to. And, well, it was a portkey."  
  
Harry pulled the wrapped-up ring out of his pocket and handed it to Dumbledore. Dumbledore almost opened it, when the doorknob of the closet turned, and opened. Silver came out looking considerably more confident and sure of herself, with Snape's torn cloak in one hand. Dumbledore placed the wrapped up ring on his desk and watched as Silver sat back down next to Harry and snuggled up to him.  
  
"Feeling better?" Dumbledore inquired courteously.  
  
"Yes, much," Silver replied.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "I am happy to hear that, Miss Riddle," he said, "However, I am going to need you to explain to me _exactly_ what happened while you were with Voldemort."  
  
Silver's eyes widened.  
  
"Which is why," Dumbledore continued, "That I am going to ask everybody that is currently present excepting Severus to wait just outside this door, on the staircase."  
  
Harry tensed. What did he mean, 'excepting Severus'? He should be allowed to stay, too! He gave Silver a questioning look, and she studied him for a moment before turning to Dumbledore.  
  
"Please, can Harry stay, too?" she inquired.  
  
"Of course," Dumbledore answered.  
  
Harry relaxed once more, his arm still around her waist. She was no longer content in his arms, however, but she was now sitting up tensely, biting her lip and breathing deeply. She turned to him as Dumbledore went to place silencing charms on the door, her eyes soft and unsure.  
  
"Harry?" she asked timidly, "I'm really sorry if this hurts your feelings, but would you mind sitting in a different chair?"  
  
She took a deep breath and continued.  
  
"I...I really don't want to be...touched...while I'm telling what happened. It would make me...it would make me scared. Just thinking about it, I can feel..."  
  
She trailed off abruptly, closing her eyes and giving a sharp intake of breath. She shuddered visibly, making Harry want more than anything to stay right there next to her, ready to comfort her. But he would do whatever she needed him to.  
  
"Nah, I wouldn't mind," he answered.  
  
He began to get up, and she gave a soft tug on his sleeve. He kissed her on the forehead before he went to a different chair. For a moment, everyone just sat there. Everyone's eyes were on Silver; Silver's were on the floor. She hesitantly raised her head to look at Dumbledore.  
  
"We'll start from the beginning," Dumbledore said quietly, "How were you taken?"  
  
"Well, I was coming back from the bathroom when I remembered that Charisma was all alone..." she began.  
  
Snape rolled his eyes, earning himself a glare as she continued.  
  
"And then...wait, where is Charisma?" she asked suddenly, "Is she all right?"  
  
"Hagrid is taking very good care of her," Dumbledore replied, "Please continue."  
  
Silver nodded and continued. "And then, I was walking down the hallway to the dungeons when somebody grabbed me from behind, put a silencing charm and a blindfold on me, and tied me up. I never actually saw them, but I think it was Bella, because whoever it was...they punched me just like she used to."  
  
"Punched you?" Snape interrupted, straightening in his chair, his eyes blazing.  
  
"Yes," she said apologetically, "And then I blacked out."  
  
Dumbledore nodded and waited for Silver to continue, but she didn't. Instead, she transferred her gaze to the floor, biting her lip once more. Harry knew that this was where things got bad.  
  
"What happened next?" Dumbledore prompted.  
  
"Well...when I woke up," she said, her eyes filling with tears, "When I woke up I was lying on the floor, and V...Voldemort was there..."  
  
She paused to gather herself, and Harry felt a surge of anger. Silver had never been afraid of saying Voldemort's name before.  
  
"...Voldemort and...and Lucius," she continued, squeezing her eyes shut.  
  
Snape made as if to stand up, but held himself back with a visible effort.  
  
"They...they were waiting for me to wake up," she said, her voice breaking, "So that they...so that they could..."  
  
She broke off, burying her face in her hands – or rather, Snape's cloak, which was in her hands. Both Harry and Snape vaulted out of their chairs, but Dumbledore put up his and gave them warning looks. They both backed up, but neither sat down.  
  
"What did they do, Silver?" Dumbledore asked gently.  
  
Silver began to cry in response. Harry leapt forward, but Dumbledore stopped him.  
  
"Not now, Harry," he said.  
  
Instead, he motioned Snape to step towards her. After giving Dumbledore a dirty look that's purpose Harry didn't understand, Snape knelt in front of Silver.  
  
"Silver," Snape said, "We need to know what happened."  
  
Silver shook her head. "N...n...no," she sobbed, "I don't want t...to talk a...about i...i...it."  
  
"I know, Silver," Snape answered patiently, "But we have to know."  
  
"Why?" she replied.  
  
"Because, Silver, we need to know if there's a possibility...if you could be..."  
  
Snape broke off and turned his head away, looking extremely embarrassed. It took Harry a moment to figure out what he was trying to say, and then all he could do was look at Silver, frozen in place and glad that Dumbledore had dubbed Snape as the one to ask her. Snape turned to look at Dumbledore, who gave him an encouraging nod.  
  
"Just tell us what happened," Snape tried.  
  
Silver shook her head, and Snape stood up, looking exasperated.  
  
"I really wish you would just tell me," he said.  
  
Silver shook her head again, and Snape made an odd noise in the back of his throat.  
  
"Good Merlin, Silver, we need to know if you're pregnant," he said finally.  
  
Silver gave a half gasp, half sob. "_No_!" she exclaimed fervently.  
  
Snape looked relieved, and began to turn back, but Dumbledore gave him a stern look. Looking extremely uncomfortable, he turned his gaze back to Silver, who was sufficiently recovering now that she had realized that she didn't have to give them a blow-by-blow account of what they had done to her. After a few seconds, she lifted her head from the cloak and looked up at Snape as she sniffled up her sobs.  
  
"Are you...are you sure?" Snape asked, oddly red in the face as he avoided eye contact, "There's not even a chance? You...you do know how to tell, don't you?"  
  
To Harry's surprise and relief, Silver smiled. "You wouldn't tell me even if I didn't," she answered amusedly.  
  
Snape was very red by this time, and he glared at her with a mixture of relief and annoyance. Harry failed horribly to hide a grin at the thought of Snape trying to give anyone 'the talk'.  
  
"What's so funny, Potter?" Snape snarled, some of the redness fading from his face.  
  
"Nothing," Harry replied innocently, sitting down in his chair and winking at Silver.  
  
Silver smiled at him, and Snape gave him a murderous look as he returned to his seat. Dumbledore tried not to look too amused.  
  
"So, Silver," Dumbledore said, dropping his formal title of 'Miss Riddle', "Is there anything else you would like to tell us?"  
  
"Oh," Silver said softly.  
  
She turned and looked at Snape, and he stared back for only a moment before turning to Dumbledore and announcing, "I can tell you everything else you need to know. She's tired."  
  
"Very well," Dumbledore said agreeably.  
  
For a moment, he and Snape stared at each other, as if communicating, and Harry watched interestedly. Both men turned to look at Silver the exact same moment, and a look of surprise registered on their faces. Harry followed their gaze to Silver, who had curled up on the small couch using Snape's cloak as a blanket, and appeared to be sound asleep.  
  
"I doubt she'll be waking up anytime soon," Snape said, as if he were commenting on the weather.  
  
"Shall we move her to-"Dumbledore began.  
  
"No," Snape interrupted, "She's comfortable here."  
  
Harry knew that what Snape really meant by that is that he didn't want her out of his sight, and he felt the same way.  
  
"Very well," Dumbledore agreed, "Harry, would you please allow the others to come in?"  
  
Harry obediently went to the door and opened it. As he went, he heard Dumbledore saying to Snape, "You do realize that you're going to have to get the full story out of her?"  
  
"Why?" Snape replied as Harry opened the door.  
  
"Um, you can come in now," he informed everyone as they turned their eyes to him.  
  
He strained to hear Dumbledore's answer. "...not healthy for her to keep it to herself."  
  
As Harry walked back to the armchair he had been sitting in, he looked at Silver. There was no doubt that she was sound asleep. Although her hair looked a bit tousled, it was still shiny and smooth as it fell over her face. She had a peaceful expression, and one hand was clutching to Snape's cloak as she lay there. _People on my 'To Kill' list_, Harry thought to himself, half sarcastically and half seriously, _Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange, and now Lucius Malfoy_.  
  
As everybody seated themselves, Dumbledore cleared his throat.  
  
"I believe, Severus, that you have something to tell me?" he inquired.  
  
"Voldemort is going to attack Harry's family today around noon," Snape answered promptly, "And he's also going to attempt to have the dementors perform the kiss on Fudge while he's making the rounds of Azkaban today."  
  
Dumbledore's gaze transferred from Silver, to Harry, to Snape, to the clock. Harry followed it, and everyone in the room did as well. It was seven o' clock in the morning.  
  
"Well, that leaves us two hours to save Cornelius and about five to save Harry's family," Dumbledore commented, "Fawkes, would you please send out the alert?"  
  
Fawkes, whom Harry had not even noticed before that moment, disappeared in a flash.  
  
"Saving Fudge isn't absolutely necessary," Snape ventured casually.  
  
"Yes, well I daresay you wouldn't consider saving anybody necessary unless it happened to be Miss Riddle," Dumbledore answered amusedly.  
  
"I saved Potter!" Snape answered defensively, "Twice, in fact. Once when he was getting bucked off his broomstick and then today when he was trying to convince Voldemort and a flock of Death Eaters to attack him."  
  
"I wasn't trying to convince them of anything," Harry protested.  
  
"Well it sure looked like it," Snape sneered in reply.  
  
"Now, now," Dumbledore interrupted as Harry opened his mouth to reply with a nasty comment.  
  
Harry and Snape glared at each other, but the hatred drained from their faces when Silver suddenly stirred slightly and they both snapped to attention in order to look at her.  
  
"Seems like there's one thing you two agree on," Tonks commented.  
  
Harry's eyes rose to meet Snape's. They stared at each other perfectly emotionlessly for about three seconds.  
  
"I think not," they said in unison.

----------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Response to Reviews**  
  
_P4L_ – So happy you liked that chapter! Stay tuned for more! (was that cheesy or what? I couldn't resist)  
  
_Retrieve the Melon_ – Well, maybe I shouldn't apologize, but I like updating, it's not a chore for me. 'Tis fun!  
  
_wordwiz8121_ – Naw, how could I kill Snape when Silver loves him so? Besides, he adds humor to the story. Nope, gonna keep him around a little longer, at least.  
  
_sun-star-n-moon22_ – Like I've said before –points upwards-, I couldn't kill Snape! Oh and I'm not so sure about the whole bringing Sirius back thing – maybe one day if I'm writing another fanfic and I feel like it. Heh. Oh and this wasn't such a terrible cliffy, was it? In fact, was it a cliffy at all?  
  
_Tekvah Ariel_ – Sorry! I got so many reviews for that chapter that I only answered ones with direct questions! -winces- Anyway, since I didn't give you one then, I will give you two right now!  
  
_Strawby168_ – Yes, I have been rather evil with the cliffies. I'm trying to cut back. Oh yeah, and...-raises banner that says, 'Snape Lives!'-  
  
_Tumblechick_ – yeah, that was kind of a short chappie, actually. This one is nearly twice it's length. Anyway, I hope you don't have to go to sleep not reading this chapter! ;)  
  
_Tekvah Ariel_ – Look! You get two responses! Yaaaayyyy for you! -cheers-

Note: If I missed anyone, I'm sorry, but it's likely you sent yours in during the time that I was editing this, so I likely hadn't received it when I posted this chapter!


	46. Escape

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or items.

**Comments:** Sorry for the wait! I was at a friend's house for a while and when I came back I was a bit sidetracked; we looked at stupid model homes for like five friggen hours! I absolutely love how impatient you guys are – it's so cute. Teehee. Oh yeah and guess what I put in this chapter? Oh wait...it's a surprise. You'll just have to read and find out. (Aren't I so mean?)

----------------------------------------------  
  
_Chapter 46 – Escape_  
  
Harry watched intently as Silver slept. He was fascinated by the way her sides moved gently up and down as she breathed, how she looked so content and at peace. A strand of almond-colored hair graced her cheek, the rest fell limply behind her. He had an incredible urge to get up, walk over to her, and brush her hair back simply because he loved the feel of it. Snape, Tonks, Lupin, Ron, and Hermione all sat silently waiting for Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall to return. Nobody so much as moved for the sake of allowing Silver to sleep – of course, Harry doubted if she would awaken unless somebody practically yelled in her ear. The sound of a door opening caught his attention, but his eyes stayed focused on Silver. He heard many footsteps coming from the direction of the door, and knew that members of the Order were filing in. He wasn't sure if he could bring himself to tear his eyes from her, even for a moment. He heard hello's being said, and grudgingly looked up at the feel of a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Harry," Moody greeted, "How are you?"  
  
"Good," Harry answered, not sure if it was the truth or not.  
  
Soon, all the members of the Order were squeezed into Dumbledore's rather cramped office, all facing his desk expectantly. Dumbledore explained briefly what had happened, leaving out a good deal about Silver.  
  
"We will need a team appointed to stop Fudge from going to Azkaban this morning and explain to him what has happened," Dumbledore said.  
  
"I'll head it," Kingsley volunteered.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Thank you, Kingsley," he said, "Now I'd like two or three more – Alastor, yes, Arthur, yes...no no, Remus, you've done quite enough for now. Hagrid, excellent."  
  
The four that had been chosen stood up and made their way to the door. Hagrid patted Harry's shoulder as he went, but couldn't seem to find words to convey his feelings at the moment. Mr. Weasley ruffled Harry's hair and muttered, "Atta boy, Harry."  
  
"Please try and make it back within four hours," Dumbledore said, "We may need you later on today."  
  
They all nodded and then left. Silver suddenly stirred, and everybody looked over at her.  
  
"No," she murmured, "I'm in love with Harry."  
  
Harry grinned as he watched her. He wondered what she was dreaming about. He glanced upwards to see, much to his amusement, that Snape looked completely appalled by Silver's pronouncement. He leaned back in his chair, turning his gaze back to Silver. He knew that there was probably a lot about her past and herself that she hadn't told him, but he also knew that she would. After all...she loved him.

----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Two hours later found Hagrid, Mr. Weasley, and Moody back with them. Kingsley was in the hospital wing being tended to by Madam Pomfrey – apparently he had somehow taken a nasty blow to the head. Silver appeared to be sleep deprived, and was still sleeping soundly, although every now and then she would shift positions, she never gave any sign that she was going to awaken. Everybody in the room fell from quiet mutterings to silence as Dumbledore called them to attention. Harry listened halfheartedly as he explained about the attack that was going to be made on his aunt and uncle. He was quite sure that if the Dursleys died, he wouldn't be anywhere near heartbroken, or even sad.  
  
"Now," Dumbledore was saying, "I would love it if we could keep Harry's family inside their house, where it would be easier to protect them. This shouldn't require too many people; however, since we don't know for certain what Voldemort's plan is, or if there is going to be back-up, I would like to divide you up into units for..."  
  
Dumbledore stopped suddenly as everybody heard Silver's voice.  
  
"Lots of back-up," she murmured sleepily, "They thought I had already told you what they were going to do, so they're prepared."  
  
She stretched and pulled herself up into a sitting position, looking at Dumbledore with a kind of hesitant honesty. Dumbledore looked surprised to see her awake, but brushed it off quickly.  
  
"Well, thank you Miss Riddle," he said finally.  
  
"My mom is going to be there," she continued, as if she hadn't heard him, "She's going to be mad that I've escaped."  
  
"No doubt," Dumbledore replied.  
  
Silver turned to him, her deep brown eyes wide and sad. "She wants to hurt you," she said softly, "For helping me."  
  
"As I'm well aware," Dumbledore agreed.  
  
Silver gave a soft sigh. "I wish I wasn't the reason for so much hate," she said quietly.  
  
Dumbledore fixed her with a piercing stare. "My darling, if you were to truly look at the way you influenced those around you," he said, "You would see that you are much more a reason for love than you are hate."  
  
A small smile spread across her face. "You think?" she asked.  
  
"I know," he replied.  
  
For a moment, the two exchanged a meaningful and reminiscent look. Harry found himself wondering just how deep their relationship went. He knew that Dumbledore had "rescued" her from her household and all that lay within it, but he had never, other than now, heard them exchange conversation that would lead him to believe that Silver truly trusted him. He knew from the way that she talked to Ron and Hermione that she trusted them, but not wholly. When she spoke to himself and Snape, however, there was a type of unguarded honesty that revealed itself, showing that she truly did trust – and love them.  
  
Dumbledore abruptly turned his gaze back to the other people in the room. "Well, it appears as though we very well may have to fight," he announced.  
  
Nobody said anything, and nobody's determined expression faded. Harry looked at Lupin, who had regained much of his energy and had a hard look on his face. He _could die trying to save my stupid aunt and uncle_, Harry realized, _and...Dudley. Ugh_. As much as Harry wanted to protest that saving his family was of no importance, he very well knew what Dumbledore's response would be so, for the sake of letting everyone come up with a good plan, he kept quiet.

----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Suddenly, everybody was standing up and heading for the door, all now sorted into their assigned 'units'. Lupin gave Harry a pat on the shoulder and a reassuring look as he left, and Silver nearly squeezed Snape to death before allowing him to get up from his chair. Finally only Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Silver were left in the office with Dumbledore. They all exchanged glances and then turned to the expected headmaster.  
  
"Please," Silver said, "Can we go, too?"  
  
"That would be unsafe," Dumbledore answered sensibly.  
  
"We'll be really careful," Silver pleaded, "And we won't do anything hasty. We just want to be there...just in case."  
  
"Just in case of what?" Dumbledore asked, "In case you need to 'take over' a duel?"  
  
Silver nodded earnestly.  
  
"Miss Riddle, you are very talented at dueling, but you are not ready to take on a fully trained Death Eater – none of you are," he said, looking at all of them.  
  
"But we can't just sit here and wait!" Silver protested.  
  
"I think you will find that you are very capable of it," Dumbledore replied.  
  
Silver frowned, and was mirrored by the other three.  
  
Dumbledore stood and gave them all a grave look. "You four will wait here for me to return," he said, "If you have any physical needs...other than exercise, that is, you may ring that bell on my desk and a house elf will attend to you. You will find that I have temporarily disabled my fireplace from the Floo Network, so I would not suggest stepping into it and attempting to follow us. I would also appreciate that my personal belongings are left alone."  
  
With that, he left.  
  
"Did Dumbledore just lock us in his office?" Hermione asked, sounding shocked.  
  
"Appears that way," Harry answered.  
  
"We have to go," Silver said.  
  
"And how are we going to manage that?" Ron asked.  
  
Silver put her arms around her knees, looking deep in thought.  
  
"Well, no Floo," Harry said thoughtfully, "And we couldn't Apparate even if we knew how...the Knight Bus won't come to Dumbledore's window..."  
  
"Charisma!" Silver exclaimed suddenly, jumping up, "We could ride Charisma!"  
  
"The only problem with that being that Charisma isn't here," Ron countered.  
  
Silver smiled and walked to the window. It opened easily. She closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate very hard.  
  
"Hagrid's tied her up," she announced, "But she thinks she can break free."  
  
"All four of us are going to ride her?" Hermione asked nervously.  
  
"Unless you want to stay behind," Silver replied.  
  
Harry chuckled. "No worries, Hermione, it's not half bad, riding a hippogriff," he told her.  
  
"At least we'll be able to see her," Hermione relented.  
  
"Yeah," Ron agreed, looking very relieved.  
  
"Why wouldn't you?" Silver asked curiously.  
  
"We rode threstrals last year," Harry explained.  
  
"Ooh," Silver said, "They look like fun to ride!"  
  
"They're not," Ron said quickly, "Not at all. We'll stick to the ones we can see."  
  
Silver giggled, and then stopped abruptly and rushed to the window.  
  
"Charisma's free," she announced, "Get ready to ride."  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked towards the window expectantly, when suddenly Ron spoke, nervousness tracing his voice.  
  
"Silver...has Charisma ever been ridden before?" he ventured.  
  
Silver's face fell slightly. "Well, no," she said, "But I'm sure she'd let us."  
  
"You don't think that hippogriffs are like horses, do you?" Harry asked, "I mean, she won't try and...throw you, will she?"  
  
"I'm sure she won't," Silver replied, "Look, here she is now."  
  
Sure enough, what appeared to be a huge silver bird was growing steadily larger as it neared. Soon, Charisma was hovering outside the window as Silver greeted her with hugs and kisses. Harry listened amusedly as Silver explained to Charisma that they were going to need to ride her. When Silver turned back to them, she was smiling.  
  
"Charisma says she doesn't mind that we're going to ride her," she announced.  
  
"How would she know?" Ron asked, "She's never been ridden."  
  
Silver giggled. "Just come on, or we're going to be late," she answered.  
  
Before anyone could say anything, she had climbed out the window and onto Charisma's back. Charisma hovered patiently in the air and looked back at them as if to hurry them along. Harry shrugged and headed for the window. Soon, all four had climbed on. Silver was in front, followed by Harry, Hermione, and finally Ron.  
  
"To Pivet Drive, please," Silver directed.  
  
Charisma needed no further urging to soar first upwards, and then sharply to the right.  
  
"How does she know where Pivet Drive is?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
After a moment, Silver replied, "She says she just knows."  
  
Suddenly, she leaned back into his arms. Upon glancing down, he saw that her eyes were blissfully closed. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer. He didn't feel like letting go anytime soon, especially not to allow her to go and battle a Death Eater. He suddenly found himself not so sure that they should have broken out of Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Hey," he said quietly.  
  
"Hmm?" she replied.  
  
"Promise me you won't do anything dangerous," he requested.  
  
He could feel her smile. "Harry Potter telling me not to do anything dangerous?" she asked in mock surprise, "Well I'll be!"  
  
"I'm serious," he insisted, "I don't want to lose you."  
  
She turned to the side so that she was able to face him. "I'll try, Harry," she said honestly, "But I can't promise."  
  
He frowned. "Why not?" he asked, brushing through her hair with his fingers.  
  
"For the same reason you can't," she replied, "If somebody needs me, I'm going to help them, Harry. I'm not going to stand there and let them...well, die."  
  
Harry regarded her for a long moment, not sure whether he should be proud that he had such a wonderful girlfriend, or angry because she was telling him that she would willingly put herself into danger. "Alright," he consented, "But unless somebody needs us, we're going to stay out of sight, right?"  
  
He glanced back at Ron and Hermione as he asked. They both nodded. He then looked at Silver, who mirrored them with a too-innocent look on her face. He almost questioned her on it when Charisma suddenly dove downwards, causing Hermione to grab onto him and nearly cut off his circulation. Silver, on the other hand, leaned forwards, clutching to Charisma's neck and closing her eyes to the feel of the wind in her face. Harry was a bit worried that she would slide off of Charisma's neck, but he didn't think Charisma would allow her to, so he relaxed until they touched down in a deserted parking lot not far from the park. It suddenly occurred to him that the four of them were riding on the back of a half-bird, half- horse, in muggle community.  
  
"Erm," he said as they all slid off, "D'ya think Charisma should maybe stay here? Muggles aren't really used to seeing hippogriffs. In fact, if you said the word hippogriff around my aunt and uncle, they'd probably think it was a swear word."  
  
Silver giggled. "I think she could manage," she replied. She turned to Charisma with a smile. "Stay here, unless somebody other than us comes – then hide, okay?" she asked.  
  
Charisma made a head motion that was undeniably a nod.  
  
"So, where can we watch?" Silver asked.  
  
"Uh, well, from the park, I guess. But you can't really see the house from there..." Harry said thoughtfully.  
  
"What about your room, Harry?" Hermione asked, "We could sneak into the house."  
  
Harry's eyes widened. "Do you know what my uncle would do if he caught us?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, come on," Hermione replied, "Why would he catch us? They treat you like you're contaminated; I seriously doubt they do regular check-ups of your room."  
  
"I suppose," Harry said doubtfully, "But if we get caught..."  
  
He stopped and shook his head. "Let's go," he said resignedly.  
  
Silver suddenly giggled mischievously. "Fred and George told me they gave Dudley a Ton-Tongue Toffee one time," she commented.  
  
Harry grinned in recollection as Ron snorted with laughter. "Yeah, they did," he agreed, "I don't think he's ever eaten another toffee."  
  
"Well, it's not like he needs one," Ron exclaimed, "Seriously, the kid makes a bear look like a bunny rabbit!"  
  
Silver burst into giggles as Hermione gave Ron a disapproving look.  
  
"You know, Ron, it's not nice to tease others about their weight," Hermione commented.  
  
"Sorry," Ron mumbled.  
  
"Come on, Hermione, that was a really good comparison," Silver insisted through giggles.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned. As they walked down the street, Harry suddenly stopped, causing Silver to crash into him.  
  
"Guys," he said, "Do you think...we're being watched?"  
  
Immediately they all looked around, excepting Silver.  
  
"Honestly, I don't think they'd be standing where we could see, you guys," she said sensibly.  
  
"Right," the other three said in unison.  
  
"Is there any other way to get to the house?" Silver asked.  
  
"Well...we could always go around and climb the backyard wall," Harry said hesitantly.  
  
"We'll have to do that, then," Silver said decidedly.  
  
"But...we'd have to go through someone else's backyard to do that," Hermione said.  
  
"Well, do you guys want to go, or not?" Silver demanded.  
  
With a shrug, Harry began to lead them towards the street behind the Dursleys'. As Harry tried to figure out which one was the one they were supposed to enter, the other three stayed silent as they observed the houses. They were all pretty much the same – whitewashed walls, neatly painted trim, clean-cut lawns, and the occasional lawn flag.  
  
"I think it's this one," he announced finally, "Now...how do we get in their backyard?"  
  
"Well," Silver replied, walking up to the backyard fence, "I was thinking something like this."  
  
She backed up, took two running steps, and jumped as she grabbed on to the top of the fence. The next moment she had disappeared on the other side.  
  
"That's unfair," Ron complained, "I'm never going to be able to do that."  
  
Silver giggled from the other side. "Then have Harry give you a boost."  
  
"And how am I supposed to get over?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Oh, for heavens sake, you two are just going to have to work something out," she replied, "Hermione, can you get over?"  
  
"I think so," Hermione said uncertainly.  
  
Hermione walked forwards a few steps, broke into a run, and attempted to imitate Silver as she grabbed a hold of the fence and swung over. Although it was a bit less graceful, Hermione successfully made it to the other side – although it sounded painful. Ron and Harry exchanged glances.  
  
"Uh, I'll...give you a boost, I guess," Harry said doubtfully.  
  
Ron looked equally dubious as the two walked up to the fence. Harry cupped his hands and Ron put his foot in them.  
  
"Count of three?" Harry asked, thinking that it sounded oddly like an Occlumency lesson.  
  
"Yup," Ron agreed.  
  
Five seconds later Ron was cursing rather loudly at the fact that his ankle had hooked over the side of the fence, causing him to land on his bottom. Silver and Hermione were giggling helplessly. Harry grabbed onto of the fence and gave a huge jump. He managed to hook his leg over the side, and eventually pulled the rest of himself over, too. He couldn't help but join in the girls' laughter as he saw Ron. Ron was clutching his bottom as he hopped around, cursing.  
  
"Quiet down," Harry told him in between laughs, "They're going to realize somebody's in their backyard."  
  
Everybody quieted, but the girls were shaking with laughter as they walked across the lawn where there was, to Ron's dismay, another fence to climb.  
  
"I'm not getting any bloody boosts," Ron declared, glaring at the fence and sending the girls and Harry into fresh waves of laughter.  
  
"I'll show you how I got up," Harry offered.  
  
"As long as it's better than how I got down," Ron replied.  
  
"Boost me, Harry?" Silver inquired, smiling sweetly at him.  
  
He grinned. "Course," he replied.  
  
Instead of cupping his hands, he placed them on her waist, pressing a kiss first onto her neck as he did so. She giggled softly and pushed his head away with her shoulder.  
  
"Come on, we have to get in," she said.  
  
He straightened disappointedly. "Alright then, on three," he consented, "One...two...three."  
  
She jumped at the same time he lifted her, and he was able to place her so that she was sitting gracefully on the fence. She gave him a smile before she hopped down to the other side. Hermione hopped up much the same as she had before, seeing as Ron was still clutching his bottom, but had given Harry a look that clearly said he did not want him 'boosting' Hermione. Harry showed Ron how he had jumped up, and then waited for Ron on the other side. The girls began to giggle as Ron cursed the whole way over, but Harry silenced them. He definitely didn't want to get caught by the Dursleys now.  
  
Slowly, they tromped their way across the yard to look up at Harry's bedroom window. There was absolutely no way to get up from where they were standing. Silver began to giggle.  
  
"Harry, I thought you said we could get in through the backyard," she said.  
  
"Well...I thought we could," he replied uncertainly.  
  
"Are you telling me that I just busted my arse open for _nothing_?" Ron demanded.  
  
Harry grinned sheepishly. "Well, it's kind of a nice backyard," he defended slowly.  
  
Silver and Hermione dissolved into giggles. Harry scratched the back of his neck and looked up at the window hopefully, as if he expected it to bend down so that they could climb in at any second. After Hermione and Silver had successfully recovered themselves, Silver said the only thing that made sense.  
  
"Well, we'll either have to sneak through the house or go home."  
  
He turned to look at her, and she added quickly, "And I'm not going home."  
  
"Oh, so you're going to sneak into the house without me?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"If I have to," she replied.  
  
"No," Hermione said suddenly, "Look here."  
  
She was standing in the corner of the yard where the house and the white fence came together. As Harry drew near, he realized that there was actually a gate there, very well concealed by the paint. There was also an inconspicuous crack where the hinge was, and through it you could see everything that happened both at the front door, and the street.  
  
"Let's just stay here," Hermione suggested, "We'll be well hidden, and have a fast way to get into the house or onto the street if anything happens."  
  
"Okay," Silver consented, taking a seat on the grass beside her.  
  
Harry felt a surge of relief now that he wasn't facing the prospect of sneaking through the Dursleys house.  
  
"I need a couch, though," Ron complained.  
  
"Oh, shut it, Ron," Hermione commanded.  
  
Ron looked taken aback. "Fine," he muttered, gingerly taking a seat away from Hermione, who tutted and rolled her eyes.  
  
Suddenly Silver shushed them all and pointed out the crack. "Look," she whispered.  
  
They all crowded around and peered out. Just a few feet away from them, in the street, stood Mr. Weasley, Lupin, Moody, and Tonks. They all conferred for a moment, pointing to various bushes, before performing Disillusionment Charms on each other and going to hide in the places they had just pointed out.  
  
"They're crazy," Harry whispered, "They just did magic in the middle of the street."  
  
"Well, nobody seemed to notice," Hermione said unhelpfully.  
  
"What time is it?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry pulled the watch Silver had given him for his birthday out of his pocket. He gazed at the engraved name for a moment before opening it.  
  
"Eleven forty-seven," he announced.  
  
They all watched through the crack for a while before a woman suddenly walked by. Silver gave a slightly loud gasp and clapped her hand to her mouth.  
  
"What is..." Harry began in a whisper, but he stopped.  
  
The woman walking past them was strangely familiar. Slightly curly reddish- brown hair fell down over her shoulders, and Harry felt that he had seen this woman's frame before. Shadowy frame...suddenly he realized who she was. His head shot towards Silver at lightening speed. She was as white as a sheet, and shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes were wide and scared. He instinctively reached out and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face into his chest, but didn't have a chance to say anything.  
  
"Where are you going?" Moody's voice suddenly growled.  
  
He stepped out of a bush, fully visible once more. Silver's mother stopped, looking completely unsurprised. A slight smirk was visible on her face. Harry noted that she had light blue eyes – eyes that looked cold, and hard. Not Silver's eyes by a long shot. Behind her, Mr. Weasley, Lupin, and Tonks all quietly stepped out of their hiding places, now visible as well.  
  
"Is that really any of your business?" she replied.  
  
Harry felt a shiver go down his spine. The voice that was speaking was the same one that he had heard torture Silver in her memories. He pulled Silver completely into his lap as she shook, feeling a surge of protectiveness. She willingly came to him, and although she didn't make a sound, he felt his shirt dampen.  
  
"I believe so," Moody replied evenly.  
  
Silver's mother gave a derisive laugh. "Get out of my way, Alastor," she ordered.  
  
"You've lost your touch if you think I'm going to listen to you," he told her.  
  
"Be prepared to pay the consequences of standing in my way," she said, her voice icy and hard.  
  
Moody chuckled.  
  
Harry strained to see through the crack, and by now he could see that they all had their wands drawn out. He was struck with the realization that a magical battle was about to ensue on Pivet Drive – quiet, blended-in Pivet Drive. Hermione glanced back at them and did a double-take. 'What is it?' she mouthed to Harry. 'Mother', Harry mouthed back grimly. Hermione's eyes widened and she looked from Silver to the lady through the crack. She nudged Ron, pointed out the crack, and mouthed the words, 'Silver's mom'. Ron's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he glanced first at Silver, and then out the crack at her mother.  
  
"You laugh now, Alastor, but you won't be laughing when I kill you," she said.  
  
Moody's face hardened. "I'd like to see you try," he snarled.  
  
"Don't lay a wand on her," another voice said suddenly. It didn't belong to Mr. Weasley, Lupin, or Tonks.  
  
Silver's mother whirled around, her bright blue eyes sparkling with surprise.  
  
"She's mine," Snape finished as he stepped into view.  
  
"Go, Snape," Ron whispered.  
  
Silver dislodged herself from Harry and wiped her eyes as she peered out the crack. She gave a soft groan, and a determined glint came into her eyes.  
  
"He is such a stubborn idiot," she whispered furiously, "What does he think he's doing?"  
  
"I've heard about your heroic little act, Severus," Silver's mother said coolly, "But I never thought you would stoop to this level."  
  
"Spare me the theatrics," Snape retorted dryly.  
  
Silver's mother didn't reply. Instead, she surveyed him for a long moment, as if sizing him up.  
  
"Why'd you do it?" she asked finally.  
  
Snape simply stared at her.  
  
"Why did you save the boy?" she asked, "Of what importance is he to you?"  
  
Snape snorted. "None whatsoever," he replied honestly.  
  
"Then why?" she demanded, "I watched you suffer for him. I saw, Severus. Why endure that torture for so long if he means nothing to you?"  
  
Snape paused only a moment before answering. "I am not the only person in the world," he answered.  
  
Her eyes widened. "So you did it for someone else?" she asked, "Who? Who would Severus Snape care for enough to endure such torture?"  
  
"Torture?" Silver echoed in a whisper. Realization dawned in her eyes as she realized that Snape's downtrodden physical state had been the effects of the Cruciatus Curse.  
  
"Why don't you shut your mouth and get down to business?" Snape suggested in reply.  
  
"Don't want to tell me, hmm?" she asked amusedly.  
  
Snape struck suddenly and, in Harry's opinion, unexpectedly. "_Stupefy_", he hissed, brandishing his wand at her.  
  
"_Protego_," she cried at the same moment, and, within the same breath, "_Crucio_!"  
  
Snape jumped out of the way, but only by inches.  
  
"Do you really think you can get me with such petty spells?" Silver's mother inquired curiously.  
  
"What_ is_ it with this god-forsaken family and dueling?" Snape roared angrily.  
  
Silver's mother laughed, and a different voice answered Snape.  
  
"It's a natural talent."  
  
Harry nearly threw himself at the crack. Bellatrix Lestrange had popped seemingly out of nowhere, and was now smirking as Moody stepped forward to duel with her.  
  
"Really, Alabastor," Lestrange said, twirling her wand about, "Do you believe that you'll be able to defeat me? My own cousin, a Black in his own right, couldn't do so. And you, Moody, are no Black."  
  
"You don't have to be a Black to duel," Moody snarled.  
  
Lestrange laughed. "You think that, old man," she replied.  
  
Suddenly, two Death Eaters appeared. Harry recognized them as Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Without thought he lunged for the latch on the gate, but Ron and Hermione held him back.  
  
"Harry," Ron grunted, "Stop. Just stop."  
  
Harry grudgingly stopped, glaring through the crack at Lucius as he did so. Hexes and curses were being thrown everywhere, and, amazingly, not one muggle had given any signs of having seen. Harry's eyes were locked on Lupin and Lucius, who had yet to begin their duel but were still in the process of throwing insults, but a gasp from Silver made him look to Snape and her mother. The wound on Snape's shoulder was freshly opened, and blood poured freely, but he looked triumphant nevertheless. Silver's mother lay, motionless, on the ground.  
  
"Is she..." Harry asked uncertainly.  
  
"Stunned," Silver supplied, "Just stunned."  
  
"Right," Harry said.  
  
He watched as Snape's eyes rose, and suddenly locked on Lucius. An intense hatred filled them, and spread from there through Snape's entire body, so much so that he shook with rage.  
  
"Lucius," he snarled.  
  
The two men made eye contact, and everyone else stopped what they were doing to watch. Harry doubted if he had ever seen Snape so angry and full of hate. A glance at Silver showed her to be tense and anxious, her hand in fists and her knuckles white.  
  
"Nice to see you, Severus," Lucius commented.  
  
"Filthy, disgusting, slimy bastard," Snape accused.  
  
If looks could kill, Lucius Malfoy would be far worse than dead, Harry thought as he looked at Snape. Lucius' eyes filled with first confusion, and then understanding. He chuckled, but it was cold and unnerving.  
  
"I never knew you were so fond of flowers," he commented.  
  
Silver began to shake once more, but Harry knew better than to try and tear her away from the crack which she was now glued against. Snape gave a low growl, shaking with fury.  
  
"I had a feeling you were a traitor," Lucius commented, observing Snape distastefully, "You never did use the Cruciatus unless commanded to. Or was that because of your father?"  
  
Lucius gave a laugh, and Snape remained unwavering, wand at the ready. Upon closer inspection, Harry could see that Snape looked to be fighting an inner battle. Lucius seemed disappointed that Snape hadn't reached the breaking point yet, and so he continued in a low, cold voice.  
  
"I make flowers wilt, Snape," he hissed.  
  
Snape just about exploded with anger. "_Crucio_!" he roared at the top of his lungs.  
  
Beside him, Silver gave a gasp. Lucius was only under the curse for a second before he screamed. Instantly Snape lifted the curse, looking at his wand as if it had betrayed him. Once Lucius had recovered enough, he chuckled.  
  
"You can't take it," he accused, "You're weak. Insufferably so. Your father wasn't, though, was he? He didn't stop when you screamed, did he?"  
  
Resentment was fast flooding Snape's eyes.  
  
"Crucio," Lucius hissed.  
  
Snape didn't attempt to escape. Instead, he let the curse hit him. The pain he was feeling reflected in his eyes and the tight lines on his face, but he didn't cry out. After a few seconds during which Harry was sure Silver was going to bite her lower lip off, Snape's body seemed to break. His knees buckled, and it seemed to take all of his willpower to keep from screaming as he fought to stay up. Silver suddenly gave a sob. Harry pulled her away from the gate and turned her into him. He looked through the crack, and suddenly Hermione pointed towards Silver's mom. He inwardly groaned as he saw Lestrange reviving her. He pulled Silver close, as if to shield her from all that was happening, as she sobbed. Silver's mother got up, anger blazing in her eyes, and she smiled as she looked at Snape.  
  
"Want some help, Lucius?" she inquired.  
  
Lucius smiled. "Be my guest," he replied.  
  
In an instant, Silver had torn away from Harry.  
  
"No!" she cried.  
  
Harry clapped a hand over her mouth and yanked her back down.  
  
"Silver," he hissed.  
  
She gave a muffled yelp against his hand and fought to get away, but she was no match for him. Nobody outside of the gate appeared to hear except for Snape. His head shot towards the gate, disbelief in his eyes. Lucius followed Snape's gaze curiously, and immediately everyone backed away from the fence.  
  
"What's in there?" Lucius growled, lifting the curse.  
  
"Nothing," Snape grunted in reply, fighting to keep standing.  
  
"Don't lie to me, Snape," he said, "What's in there?"  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances. It seemed that Lucius' voice was getting closer. Harry looked desperately around for a hiding place. Aunt Petunia's rosebushes would do them no good, and neither would her tomato plants. Suddenly the fence seemed to explode towards Harry. One of the boards gave him a good blow to the head that sent him reeling backwards, and the next thing he knew, Silver was no longer in his arms. Although he was dizzy, he sat back up immediately. He saw Ron and Hermione, but not Silver. A look through the broken fence showed her to be in the possession of a triumphant Lucius Malfoy. He, Hermione, and Ron abandoned all pretense of hiding and dashed out onto the sidewalk.  
  
"Well, well, well," Lucius said, completely ignoring them, "Look what we have here."  
  
Silver had tears in her eyes and was looking at Snape pleadingly.  
  
"You're here," Snape commented.  
  
"I'm sorry," Silver said tearfully, "I'm really, really sorry."  
  
She made as if to run to him, but was yanked back forcefully by Lucius. Snape looked up at Lucius, who was wearing a smile on his face.  
  
"Let her go," he said, his voice every bit as threatening as it ever had been.  
  
Lucius ran a finger from her shoulder down to her hip in mock thoughtfulness, causing her to shudder. "I'm not so sure," he said tauntingly, "I am rather fond of her."  
  
"Just let her go," Snape replied.  
  
"Let me go!" Silver echoed, struggling against him.  
  
Lucius gave her a clean blow to the head and yanked her arms back, causing a whimper to escape her. "Don't tell me what do to," he hissed, "And don't try any funny stuff." He then turned to Snape with a smile on his face.  
  
"What do you want?" Snape asked.  
  
"You, my friend," Lucius replied, "The Dark Lord is offering a rather large reward for you at the moment."  
  
"Fine," Snape said, without hesitation, "Let her go, and you can take me."  
  
"No!" Silver cried, "Don't, please!"  
  
Lucius twisted her arm, causing her to fall into silence, and looked at Snape disbelievingly. "Hand over you wand," he ordered.  
  
Snape willingly held out his wand, and Silver began to sob. "Take...it...back!" she cried, "Don't give it to him!"  
  
As Lucius reached for it, Snape withdrew it, causing Lucius to frown.  
  
"What am I to do, then, child?" Snape demanded, looking at Silver.  
  
"I don't care, just don't die!" Silver replied through tears.  
  
"How positively _touching_," Silver's mother said in mock delightfulness, "My widdle daughter has found herself a daddy. Or are you her husband? Lucius mentioned she was quite delightful when she..."  
  
She paused a moment as she found three wands at her throat.  
  
"I wouldn't advise finishing that sentence," Lupin said, his face hard.  
  
"Maybe," Lucius said thoughtfully, "I could just torture her. Yes, torture seems the ticket. Until she loses her mind. Imagine, Severus – watching her go through that agony for hours on end, and then, finally, she's free. And guess what? She has no idea who you are. She doesn't have any feelings for you. If you die, she won't care. I guess that would bring a total of people who care for you to zero, wouldn't it?"  
  
Snape stared hard at Silver, who was crying hard by this time.  
  
"What do you want with her?" he asked finally, his voice breaking, "Just let the child go. She hasn't done anything."  
  
"Hasn't done anything?" Silver's mother repeated incredulously, dodging the wands pointed at her with ease that almost scared Harry, "The girl's a brat, a traitor. She gave away the Dark Lord's plans, and..."  
  
"No, she didn't!" Snape said, his voice rising, "She kept the secret, goddammit!"  
  
Lucius, Lestrange, and Silver's mother all turned their eyes to Silver, who was sobbing even harder at this revelation.  
  
"You lie," Lestrange said flatly.  
  
"You know I speak the truth," Snape answered.  
  
Suddenly, while everyone's eyes were averted, Snape caught Harry's eye. At first Harry thought Snape was merely noting he was there, but then he noticed the subtle movements he was making with his hands. He was pointing at Lucius, and Harry realized that he, Hermione, and Ron all had a free shot at his back. _I'll Crucio him 'til kingdom come_, Harry thought. Snape shook his head a bit less subtly than he had been, and Harry knew that his emotions must have been showing. _Or I could knock him out_, he decided, with a bit less relish. He nudged Ron and Hermione and whispered instructions to them. Nobody noticed as they all levitated a rather large boulder across the street until it was hovering atop Lucius' head.  
  
"Lucius!" Lestrange screamed suddenly.  
  
They let it drop, and as Lucius looked up, he was rewarded with what looked to be a very hard blow to the face. _Almost the same as knocking out the ogre_, Harry thought amusedly to himself as he remembered his first year. Lucius' grip on Silver diminished, and she ran towards Snape, but he pushed her away.  
  
"Go, child," he said exasperatedly.  
  
Obediently, Silver turned and ran. Harry caught her with one arm as they ran for some nearby bushes. In a matter of minutes, Lestrange, Narcissa, and Silver's mother were all stunned. The foursome immediately leapt up and towards the other members of the Order, all whom looked at them extremely disapprovingly.  
  
Silver tentatively walked up to Snape, whom Harry realized must be extremely sore from the Cruciatus. For a moment, Snape regarded her the same way he had the others, but then, rather suddenly, he reached out and pulled her to him, not giving any sign of hurt as he did so.  
  
"I'm really sorry," Silver murmured.  
  
"It's over now," he answered, "But I don't want you to do anything of that sort ever again."  
  
"Alright," she whispered, "Do you forgive me?"  
  
Snape looked a bit annoyed. "Of course, child," he said.  
  
She tightened her arms around him, and he cringed. Immediately she jumped a foot away from him, her eyes wide.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
"Do you ever stop apologizing?" he replied, sounding halfway amused.  
  
For a moment she looked as if she were about to apologize, but then she thought the better of it, and didn't say anything at all.  
  
Harry was about to speak when a large crack filled the air. Five Ministry Officials had Apparated around them.  
  
"Well, what have we here?" one of them inquired.  
  
"Four Death Eaters, three stunned and one unconscious," Snape replied.  
  
All five of them began to take notes.  
  
"Names?" another one asked.  
  
"Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Alexandra Meliflua," Snape replied.  
  
_Meliflua?_ Harry thought to himself, _It sounds familiar, but I can't place it...where have I heard that before?_ A glance at Ron and Hermione showed that they had definitely never heard the name before, but Harry was sure he had. He frowned in concentration, but couldn't place it, no matter how hard he tried.  
  
"Your names?" yet another asked.  
  
Snape looked around as he began to recite names. "Severus Snape, Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody..."  
  
He paused as his eyes landed on Harry.  
  
"...Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Silver..."  
  
He trailed off uncertainly as his eyes landed on Silver.  
  
The officials looked up questioningly. Silver flushed. "Meliflua," she admitted shamefully.  
  
"No," Snape countered immediately, "Just Silver. Surname unknown."  
  
With raised eyebrows, the officials made a line through the word "Meliflua" and wrote what Snape had said – all in unison. It was the slightest bit unnerving.  
  
"We'll contact you for further details later," one of them said.  
  
By that time, Harry had lost track of who had already spoken and who hadn't, but he had a suspicion it was a different one altogether. Four of the men took handcuffs out of their pockets, pressed a button on them, and then let them go. The handcuffs floated to the unconscious Death Eaters, fastened themselves around their wrists, and yanked them into an upright position. At the same time, a green light flashed on the handcuffs, and both the Death Eaters and the four officials that had set loose the handcuffs disappeared. The last one took out a small black rectangle, pointed it at the street, and pressed a switch on the side into the "Off" position. A small wave seemed to pass over the street, and then the official Disapparated.  
  
"Come on," Lupin said suddenly, "The Muggles can see us now."  
  
"They couldn't before?" Harry questioned.  
  
"They were all under a spell to keep them sleeping and inside of their houses up until now," Tonks replied, "Now come on, we have to get back."  
  
"We have to go get Charisma first," Silver said hesitantly, "She's how we got here."  
  
"You rode a hippogriff here?" Lupin asked in astonishment.  
  
"Well, yes, Dumbledore locked us in his office, and there was no other way to get out," Silver said, as if it made perfect sense.  
  
Snape merely shook his head and sighed as Silver began to lead them towards the deserted lot. Harry desperately hoped that Charisma hadn't been discovered – he had a feeling Dumbledore would be displeased enough with them, as it was.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Note:** Yay, we all know who Silver's mommy is! And if you're confused on where the name Meliflua comes from, you'll learn more about it next chapter. I promise that it was JKR who made it up and not me, though!

Oh, and I just couldn't bring myself to do the Response to Reviews...it takes too long! Besides, I knew you guys all wanted the new chappie.


	47. The Aftermath

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, or items.

**Comments:** Hmm, mixed results as far as the Meliflua situation goes...some of you got it, some didn't. It will all be explained in this chapter, but first...fluffiness! (Hey, we need a break from all the cry cry, sob sob, fight fight, don't we?) Oh yes and there will be no Response to Reviews for this chapter either, because it's very late at night, I'm tired, and I want to get this chapter posted.

-------------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter 47 – The Aftermath**  
  
"Can you guys believe Dumbledore's punishment for us?" Ron asked incredulously as the four of them sat, alone, in the common room.  
  
Silver giggled. "Yeah, we're not allowed to go to any classes today or tomorrow – whatever shall we do?" she said theatrically, putting a hand to her forehead and closing her eyes.  
  
"_I_, for one, cannot be behind," Hermione said, standing up.  
  
Harry and Ron rolled their eyes and Silver tried to conceal her amused smile.  
  
"Don't look at me like that, it's true!" Hermione exclaimed, "I may not be able to go to classes, but I can still go to the library. Is anyone coming?"  
  
For a moment, everyone was silent.  
  
"Uh, Mione," Harry said, choosing his wording carefully, "I really think you can afford to just take it easy today. I mean, you're smart enough that you'll be able to catch up in no time."  
  
Hermione gave him a patronizing look. "Harry, next year we have our _N.E.W.T.s_", she said, with particular emphasis on N.E.W.T.s.  
  
He sighed. "Right."  
  
"I'll be in the library if anyone needs me," Hermione said, throwing her nose defiantly up in the air and heading for the door.  
  
Suddenly, Ron jumped up. "I, uh, had better go keep her company," he said quickly, trotting off after her.  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow as the two disappeared outside the portrait hole. Silver giggled. "I'm sure those two are going to get a lot of studying done," she said sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm sure they're going to the library," Harry replied.  
  
Silver stretched out on the couch that she now had to herself, seeing as Harry was sitting on the floor. He watched her with a mischievous grin.  
  
"So, what now?" she asked, closing her eyes.  
  
He took the opportunity to grab a pillow from near her feet and hit her in the face with it.  
  
"Pillow fight?" he suggested.  
  
She squealed as it hit her in the face and fumbled for a pillow, grabbing the one from beneath her head and bringing it down squarely on top of his. They both jumped up, Silver laughing and Harry grinning wildly.  
  
"Ah! Harry...stop...hitting...me...on...the head!" she exclaimed, hitting him randomly in between words.  
  
"Don't like it?" he teased, hitting the top of her head lightly.  
  
"No!" she replied, hitting him in the same spot, only a bit harder, "It...messes...up...my...hair."  
  
He hit her first in the stomach, and then when her arms went down instinctively, atop the head once more.  
  
"Your hair is fine," he said, abandoning the pillow and reaching forward to tickle her.  
  
She hit him with the pillow as she squirmed in his arms, giggling with delight. He backed her to the couch, where she couldn't escape, and watched, pleased, as she laughed uncontrollably. Suddenly she tossed her pillow aside, stepped forwards, and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him down onto the couch with her. He stopped tickling her as he landed atop of her, his face only inches from hers. It seemed like ages since they had kissed. He studied her eyes intently. She was looking up at him expectantly and eagerly, the latter making his stomach do cartwheels. Her hands slipped around his neck and her fingers fiddled with his hair a bit impatiently. He grinned at her as he caught on to this, and she blushed slightly, a bit of a shy smile lighting her face. He closed the distance between them and enveloped her in a kiss which she wholeheartedly returned.  
  
"I love you, you know," he informed her as they parted, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke.  
  
She gave a small sigh. "I love you, too, Harry," she murmured.  
  
He grinned suddenly. "What were you dreaming about earlier today?" he asked.  
  
She looked puzzled. "Dreaming?" she echoed.  
  
"Yes," he confirmed, "You were sleeping, and all of a sudden you said, 'No, I'm in love with Harry.' Snape just about killed me."  
  
She giggled at his last statement, and then bit her lip in concentration. He gently smoothed her hair back as he waited.  
  
"I can't remember," she proclaimed finally, frowning and looking at him as if she were afraid he might be upset.  
  
"It's all right," he assured her, "You're just going to have to make it up to me...somehow."  
  
He winked at her with his last word, and she giggled.  
  
"Hmm...let me think," she said with mock thoughtfulness.  
  
He chuckled and bent to kiss her neck, deliberately tickling her with soft, brief kisses. She giggled and squirmed, and he paused to look up at her. She reached up and gently pulled his head down to her, kissing him with both tenderness and passion. He slid one arm around her waist, and reached up with the finger of his other arm to run it gently from her shoulder to her elbow. The result was a shudder, and, thinking it was from fear, he pulled away concernedly. She opened her eyes and peered up at him curiously.  
  
"Sorry," he said.  
  
"For what?" she asked, considerably breathless from the kissing.  
  
"That," he replied, looking down at her arm and stroking it with his finger once more.  
  
She smiled up at him amusedly. "Trust me, you don't want to be sorry for that," she told him, pulling him back down to her.  
  
It took Harry a moment to come to the conclusion that she actually liked it when he did that. Tentatively, he repeated the motion. He was rewarded by being pulled closer as she shook with delight. He smiled through the kiss, letting his hand rest on her shoulder for a moment. He felt her push on his chest a bit, and realized that he was too close for her to reach the buttons of his shirt. He pulled away, grinning.  
  
"Problem?" he inquired.  
  
"Not anymore," she replied, casually undoing a button on his shirt.  
  
He chuckled and bent to immerse himself in kissing her once more. She raised no objection, and one of her hands abandoned his shirt in order to push through his hair, although the other loyally remained on the task of unbuttoning. He found himself wondering what exactly would happen were she to reach the last button – he was fairly sure he wanted to find out, and therefore left adequate space between them. The sound of the portrait opening made Harry's spirits drop considerably.  
  
"Um, maybe we should go in first," Hermione was saying, pointedly and loudly.  
  
"Yeah," Ron said, practically yelling through the portrait hole, "Just in case they're – studying."  
  
As Harry pulled away, Silver burst into quiet giggles. As usual, she had come off looking better, for although her hair was a bit mussed, nothing else seemed amiss. Harry, on the other hand, could sense that he looked a mess, with his shirt halfway unbuttoned and his hair probably all standing up on end.  
  
"Go change your shirt and comb your hair," Silver instructed as she combed through her hair with her fingers, "I'll say you were...getting a Transfiguration book or something."  
  
He smiled, although he was still disappointed at being interrupted. "That'll work," he agreed, jumping over the back of the couch and heading for the boy's dorms.  
  
As he changed, he wondered who was accompanying Ron and Hermione. Somebody ditching class, maybe? He ran a comb through his hair, but not with any particular hope of getting it to lie flat. Then he quietly exited and peered out at the common room. Lupin and Tonks were sitting down across from Silver, reminiscing about the days when they had sat in the very same seats. Harry looked at Silver, who was sitting sideways on the couch, her arms wrapped around her knees. She was laughing at a story Lupin was telling her, and her eyes were glittering irresistibly. He couldn't bring himself to join them for the simple fact that he was entranced from watching Silver. The way she tossed her head and ran her fingers through her hair, the smile that played upon her lips as she listened, and the attentive look on her face all captivated him. He found himself wondering how he could have gone his entire life without seeing these things. He didn't realize that Lupin was looking at him until he spoke.  
  
"Harry," he said, in a voice that was obviously hoping to catch Harry's attention.  
  
Harry tore his eyes away from Silver with difficulty. "Uh, hi Moony," he said, trying to make it look as if he had just exited the dorms.  
  
He took a seat next to Silver, who put down her knees in order to sit closer to him. He glanced up and noted that Ron was staring at him strangely.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Were you wearing that shirt when we left?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione shook her head in a disappointed manner, and Silver blushed.  
  
"Yes," he lied.  
  
"Really, 'cause I thought you were wearing blue, not green, and – ouch!" Ron exclaimed as Hermione elbowed him sharply.  
  
"So, Harry, I suppose you couldn't find the book?" Tonks asked, smirking.  
  
"Book?" Harry echoed, "Oh, right, the book. Um, no, I couldn't find it. Don't know where it went. Nope."  
  
Tonks giggled, and Lupin looked highly amused. A look of realization dawned on Ron's face.  
  
"You were snogging!" he exclaimed triumphantly.  
  
"Nothing gets past you, does it?" Silver replied sarcastically, sticking her tongue out at him.  
  
He made a face back at her that caused her to giggle too hard to continue the exchange. Harry felt a twinge of jealousy that he wasn't the one causing her to laugh, but he refrained from making any faces at Ron.  
  
"Anyway, we came to tell you that Dumbledore wants to have a meeting with the members of the Order plus you four tonight at seven," Lupin said.  
  
"So we're like...members of the Order?" Ron asked excitedly.  
  
"No, you're four kids that snuck out when you weren't supposed to and got involved in an Order mission," Tonks replied brightly.  
  
Ron's face fell. "Well, that's close," he muttered.  
  
Lupin snickered at Ron's comment. "Not really," he replied, "Actually, Dumbledore wasn't all that mad about you sneaking out. Snape's the one who went ballistic. He almost told Dumbledore that if he couldn't remember simple things like locking windows, he shouldn't be headmaster. He didn't, of course, but it was pretty easy to tell what he was thinking by the look on his face and the things he was muttering under his breath."  
  
Silver sighed. "I suppose he's mad at me?" she asked.  
  
Lupin snorted. "Try everyone except you. I wouldn't want to be the one to tell him that you've ever done anything wrong."  
  
Silver brightened considerably, much to Lupin's amusement. He and Tonks exchanged glances and stood up.  
  
"We've got to go," he announced, "And I would tell you to get back to what you were doing, but, well..."  
  
He broke off as he saw that he had satisfactorily caused both Harry and Silver to blush profusely, then winked at them and walked out behind Tonks. Harry glanced at Ron to find that he was smirking at them.  
  
"So, Ron, how did the _studying_ go?" he asked pointedly.  
  
Both Ron and Hermione blushed, and Silver giggled. "Yes, did you get some good _practice_?" she chimed in.  
  
"Well...uh...yeah," Ron stammered.  
  
Harry and Silver burst into laughter at the look on Ron and Hermione's faces, and soon all four of them were laughing.  
  
"Do you think Dumbledore will actually decide to punish us?" Hermione asked once they had recovered themselves.  
  
"Nah," Harry replied, "Although I can't say the same for Snape."  
  
"He won't punish you," Silver said, "Well...at least not badly."  
  
"Yeah, if you beg him not to," Harry replied.  
  
She smiled. "True," she admitted, "Especially since he knows how it must have been your guys' idea to ride Charisma."  
  
This earned her three pillows thrown in her direction, causing her to giggle and fall back onto the couch. Harry found it incredibly hard not to bend over her and kiss her, especially when she took the opportunity to stretch, causing her shirt to reveal a sliver of what looked to be incredibly smooth and shiny skin. His eyes traveled upwards to her face, and he tried to imagine what it would be like without seeing that face. He wasn't surprised to find that he honestly didn't think he could live without her. In the six years that he had known Ron and Hermione, he had come to feel that without them, he wouldn't be himself. But in the three- quarters of a year that he had known Silver, he had come to feel exactly the same way. He wondered how long, exactly, it had taken him to feel that way about Ron and Hermione. He estimated that by the end of his first year, he couldn't live without them. But he certainly hadn't realized it until he had been separated from them that summer. With Silver he was faced with the realization when she was right next to him. She looked down at him questioningly as she realized that he was looking at her.  
  
"Love you," he told her.  
  
She smiled, and he was surprised when she answered right away. "Love you, too."  
  
She sat up and kissed him lightly on the lips, causing him to grin uncontrollably. He leaned back against the arm of the couch and pulled her with him. She lay her head against his chest and sighed with contentment.  
  
"So, how long 'til seven?" Harry wondered aloud.  
  
"Dunno, you're the one with the watch," Ron replied.  
  
"It's in my pocket," Harry answered, and then, a bit mischievously, "Wanna get it out for me, honey?"  
  
"Nope," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him as she lifted herself up to allow him to get his watch.  
  
He feigned disappointment as he fished it out and popped it open.  
  
"We have six hours to do whatever we want," he announced, "Well, actually only one and a half to ourselves."  
  
He carefully closed the watch and put it back in his pocket, and Silver immediately snuggled up to him once more. He rubbed her back as he looked over at Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Got any ideas on what to do now that you're done studying?" he asked.  
  
He noticed that both Ron and Hermione appeared to be studying him and Silver intently, and he shifted uncomfortably beneath their gazes. Silver, appearing to be in a very snuggly mood, slid one arm down so that it rested on his side. She caressed it with her thumb in what Harry knew was a very deliberate, and yet sneaky manner, seeing as Ron and Hermione couldn't see what was making Harry's eyebrows raise as he looked down at her.  
  
"I was thinking maybe we could all just kind of hang out here," Hermione offered in reply to his question, "I'm a bit tired."  
  
"From all the fence-jumping?" Silver inquired teasingly, still rubbing against Harry's side with her finger, "Or wait, that would be fence-falling for Ron, wouldn't it?"  
  
"It's not my fault Harry gave me a bad boost!" Ron protested.  
  
"I did not!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Did too!" Ron replied.  
  
"Your ankles are just too big," Harry retorted.  
  
This sent all four of them into waves of laughter. Silver stopped caressing Harry's side, which made him momentarily irritable, but she started up again once she had successfully recovered from her giggles.  
  
"They are not," Ron protested once he was able to stop laughing.  
  
Harry just grinned cheekily at him.  
  
For the rest of the afternoon until dinnertime, the foursome stayed in much the same positions, talking and joking, and although at times the conversation strayed very close to somebody asking Silver about her mother, it never quite made it. Harry couldn't deny that he was very curious to learn more about her, but he didn't want to pressure Silver at the moment – she had gone through enough in the past two days to deserve a break. Ron and Hermione seemed to be thinking along the same lines, and so the subject was carefully avoided the entire time. After a rather late dinner, they all headed to Dumbledore's office, all of them silent.  
  
Upon entry, which was exactly three minutes before seven, they could see that they were definitely the last ones to arrive. Mrs. Weasley had saved a seat for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but it was evident that Silver was to take a seat next to Snape, who was sitting a good few feet away. So, Silver parted and Harry was left to watch her carefully, as if afraid that she might disappear at any moment. The opening of Dumbledore's speech was lost on him, but his attention was soon caught at mention of himself – well, him, Ron, Hermione, and Silver.  
  
"...a few escapees decided to join in the battle that occurred just outside of the house. Those would be, if you hadn't guessed, the four underage wizards currently among us. I am to understand that Miss Riddle was held as a hostage, but was soon released due to some Charms work by Harry."  
  
Dumbledore paused to give Harry a wink, and then continued. "Miss Riddle will be facing a trial of custody sometime during the summer, and I would appreciate it if everyone who witnessed the battle today would attend."  
  
Everybody who had been there nodded solemnly, realizing that if Silver's mother gained custody, Silver would be in for a rough time of it. Harry glanced at Silver and saw the fear that had entered her eyes. At Dumbledore's words, she had tensed up and bitten her lip, but Harry wasn't the only one who noticed. Snape subtly placed a hand on her shoulder, and she immediately sought refuge in the front of his robes. Although he didn't openly embrace her, or even put his arms around her, he fastened the one that had been on her shoulder around her waist. Harry figured that for him, that was the equivalent to jumping up, pulling her into a hug, and swinging her around. The mental picture made Harry grin.  
  
"Now, I think it's time to explain a bit about your heritage, Silver, wouldn't you say?" Dumbledore asked, abandoning her formal title of 'Miss Riddle'.  
  
Silver nodded slowly, not moving from her position in Snape's arms...well, actually, arm.  
  
"For those of you who didn't know," Dumbledore said, his eyes lingering on Harry for a moment, "Silver's mother is Alexandra Meliflua, the only daughter of Araminta Meliflua. Araminta Meliflua was a member of the Black family, and..."  
  
"She's related to Sirius!" Harry blurted suddenly as realization dawned on him, "Araminta Meliflua was his mother's cousin! She tried to make muggle hunting legal!"  
  
Harry remembered the scenario clearly, now. He and Sirius had been looking at the Black family tree last year before school had started. Harry had been amazed that Sirius was related to the Malfoys, and...Lestrange. He gave a start as he realized that Silver was related to both Draco and Lestrange.  
  
Dumbledore paused, his eyes resting on Harry for a long moment before answering. "Very well then, Harry," he said finally, "You've saved me some explaining."  
  
Dumbledore then continued talking, but Harry was deaf to it all as he watched Silver. She was hiding her face in Snape's robes, as if too embarrassed to look at anyone. He realized that she must not have wanted to tell him because of all the – to put it plainly, idiots – she was related to. He thought it was rather silly, but then again, Silver was sensitive – it was one of the many things he loved about her.  
  
"Hello, Earth to Harry!" Ron called, swinging his hand in front of Harry's face and obstructing his view of Silver.  
  
Harry jumped up in order to be able to see Silver clearly once more. "What is it?" he asked.  
  
"I hate to break it to you, mate, but she's not going anywhere," Ron said, "Seriously. Calm down."  
  
Harry flatly ignored Ron, and a grin spread across his face as Silver said something to Snape, gave him a hug, and then turned and walked in their direction.  
  
"Harry...Harry..._Harry_," Ron was saying, trying to get his attention.  
  
Harry turned to him, still grinning. "She's beautiful," he announced.  
  
He then turned to look at her again, and found, to his delight, that she was looking at him, as well.  
  
"You're crazy," Ron commented.  
  
Harry ignored him as Silver came within arm's length. He reached out and pulled her to him, enveloping her in a tight hug. She put her arms around him and hugged back, and he closed his eyes. It was as if he had become whole by having her in his arms. He didn't ever want to let go, for fear that he wouldn't be able to hold her again. _This_, he thought to himself as he tightened his arms around her, _Is how things are supposed to be. _


	48. Parting

**Disclaimer: **I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's people, places, or items.

**Comments:** Oh no! Can it be the dreaded, and yet sought-after last chapter? Alas, it is!

--------------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 48 – Parting**

The months seemed to fly by much too fast for Harry's comfort. Before he knew it, he and Ron were in the boys' dormitories, doing some extremely last-minute packing. Their exams had come and gone, and Harry honestly had no idea how he had done. Memories of the last three months included late nights by the fireplace with Silver, games of 'tag' between all four of them, and nearly having Snape dock a hundred points in Potions because Harry had kissed Silver right in the middle of class. But it wasn't as if he could help it – she had had her hair curled and she smelt like candy. In the end, Snape decided that fifty points was more suitable for it being a 'first offense', but he had threatened to take two hundred the next time and had given Harry a detention complete with a lecture on self-control.

As he tossed his school robes into his trunk, he stopped, lost in a wave of thoughts. Going back to Pivet Drive was the absolute last place he felt like going. He felt like being wherever Silver was, and that was definitely not at the Dursleys. He ran a hand through his hair as he thought. He knew that the minute he turned seventeen, he was Apparating to Grimmauld Place – he'd like to see anybody try and stop him. Of course, he might have a little bit of fun with the Dursleys first – give them a little "going-away present" or two.

"Harry? Hello, you there?" Ron asked.

"Uh, yeah," Harry said, snapping back to attention.

Ron gave him a sympathetic look. "We're going to try and get you away from the Dursleys as soon as we can," he promised, "Mum's already hassling Dumbledore about it to get you out well before your birthday. She told him that if you needed to go home, you should go and spend one night there."

Harry grinned. "Really?"

"What'd you expect? You know you're like family to us. Already mum's invited Lupin over for the summer, and she's clearing out our attic so he can have his own room when he comes. She's trying to convince him to live with us so that you won't leave. I mean, she likes him and all, but she treats you like me, or Fred, or George – minus the yelling."

Harry's grin intensified. "I don't think I'll be moving out anytime soon," he said, "I'll just have to convince Lupin to move in, too."

Ron looked extremely pleased.

Suddenly the door burst open and Silver flew in, beaming. He couldn't help but notice how her dark green tank top flattered her figure extremely well. If there was anyone who could make Slytherin colors look remotely appealing, it was her.

"Harry, guess what?" she exclaimed.

"You're in the boys' dorms," he told her.

"Nope, guess again!" she replied cheerily, sticking her tongue out at him.

He grinned and surveyed her carefully. "New lipstick," he finally proclaimed.

She wrinkled her nose. "Of course not," she said, "Since when have I gotten excited about _lipstick_?"

"I was joking, darling," he told her bemusedly.

"Oh. Well, come to think of it, it is new…" she mused.

He shook his head, smiling, which caused her to snap back to attention.

"Come on now, guess," she prompted.

He squinted in mock concentration. "You've looked in the mirror and realized you're beautiful!" he tried.

Her eyes filled with surprise and she blushed. "You're not going to take this seriously, are you?" she asked, plopping down beside him.

"I was," he insisted, leaning over and kissing her on the side of the head.

"Were not," she replied stubbornly, refusing to kiss him back.

"Don't be mad," he begged in his best pleading voice, nipping at her ear playfully.

She allowed a giggle to escape and drew her head away from him.

"So, what is it?" he asked, continuing to pack.

He was faced with a problem when his trunk began to overflow and he wasn't even halfway done packing yet. Silver wrinkled her nose, reached over, dumped the contents out, and began to fold them and place them back in. He gave her a thankful grin and began to attempt to fold one of his shirts.

"Hermione's invited me to stay with her for part of the summer," she replied, taking the shirt he had folded out of the trunk and refolding it.

He let the pair of pants he was attempting to fold drop as he looked up at her. She took them from his lap and began to fold them.

"Well, only two days, really," she said thoughtfully. Ron snorted with laughter and Harry felt a bit relieved. It wasn't that he didn't want her to be with Hermione, he just had a feeling that it would stop the flow of letters he hoped to be receiving from her.

"Part of the summer?" he asked her amusedly.

"Two days is a part of the summer," she protested weakly.

"Course it is, sweetie," he replied comfortingly.

She smiled and hit him playfully with one of his shirts. "You sound so sincere," she said sarcastically.

"I am," he replied.

She tossed her hair back and he caught a glimpse of the earrings he had given her for the Valentines Ball. She caught him staring after a moment and raised her eyebrows questioningly. He shook his head and began to hand her clothes to fold. Ron watched with a raised eyebrow.

"Folding his clothes for him?" he asked Silver with a smirk.

"He can't manage it himself," Silver replied, with a teasing glance at Harry.

"Just like a married couple," Ron quipped.

Silver giggled. "Are you saying Hermione didn't help you even one little bit?" she asked.

"No," Ron said defiantly.

Silver looked up with an altogether too mischievous glint in her eyes, and he quickly changed his mind.

"Okay, maybe a little," he confessed.

He looked at Harry for a moment, and then at Silver, and then he shook his head, as if snapping himself out of a trance. "Uh, I'm gonna go see how Hermione is doing and…stuff," he said lamely, walking out of the room.

Harry grinned. Ron wasn't one for subtlety. He looked up at Silver, carefully noting the way her eyes sparkled, revealing so many shades of brown that it was almost unsettling, and the way with every slight movement of her head, her hair glistened with reddish highlights and chocolate brown undertone. He had come to appreciate her more than he thought was humanly possible, and yet the odd thing was that his appreciation never lessened, and never stilled. It seemed to grow constantly, every time he looked at her, or even thought about her. Thoughts like, _She's bloody gorgeous_, would come to his mind at various inopportune times, often causing him to stutter or simply space out. She looked up at him, and a flurry of emotions stirred inside his stomach. He did not, under any circumstances, want to leave her.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked.

"I don't want to leave you," he replied honestly.

She set down the shirt she was folding and scooted closer to him in order to wrap him in a hug. He clutched her tightly, knowing that in just a few hours time he wouldn't have the opportunity.

"I'm going to miss, you, Harry," she breathed, "A lot."

He pulled her tighter, not having realized that it was possible to do so until that moment.

"I'll write you as often as I can," she vowed, her fingers running through the hair on the back of his head.

He was silent, holding her and wishing never to let her go. He finally loosened his grip enough so that she could lean back slightly. To his surprise, the only adjustment she made was placing her lips on his and kissing him like tomorrow would never come. And, he supposed as he kissed her back, in all reality it wouldn't – not with them able to be together. One of her hands held the back of his head, attempting to somehow bring him closer, while the other played with his hair. One of his hands was immersed in her own hair, while the other lay on her waist. He brought it up to her shoulder and gently ran his finger down to her elbow. She gave a shiver and made a noise in the back of her throat that made him grab her arm both gently and firmly and pull her as close as he possibly could. She was straddling his lap and now caressing his neck softly with the hand that used to be playing in his hair. He felt and returned her passion, and could not resist seeing what would happen if he were to stroke her arm one more time. He repeated the motion swiftly and deliberately, and she pulled away from him as her entire body shook, giving a small cry against his lips before kissing him with more ardor than before. He found that he was overcome with the desire to lower her to the ground and touch her in places he had never dared to even come close to before. As it grew stronger, he distinctly heard a voice in the back of his head telling him to back off. As difficult as it was, he did, pulling his lips away from hers. She planted gentle kisses along his jawline, increasing the desires he felt by doing so.

"Silver," he whispered, attempting and failing to pull away from her insistent kisses.

"Mm?" she replied, pausing for only a moment as her lips caressed his neck.

"You're driving me crazy. Stop it."

His voice sounded deeper than usual, and it was a bit shaky, as well. She pulled away, although she didn't look as if she wanted to in the least. He wished that she would hurry and get out of his lap before he pushed her to the ground and began to kiss her again, which is what he felt like doing. She didn't move though, only sat with her arms around his neck, looking at him wistfully. Suddenly she leaned forwards and longingly brushed her lips against his. That was all it took. He pushed her off his lap, ignoring her puzzled look, and lowered her to the ground, his lips searching for hers.

"Okay, Harry, I get it," she said breathlessly, bracing her hands against his chest.

He came very close to ignoring her and kissing her anyway, but he managed to tear himself away from her and lay on his back next to her. It took him a while to catch his breath, his mind reeling. He had never felt so strongly compelled to do…something…with her before, but then again, he wasn't quite sure she had ever kissed him with quite so much passion before. He glanced over at her, and she turned to look at him at the same time.

"Sorry," he said.

"You didn't do anything, Harry," she replied, rolling onto her side.

He rolled onto his so that he was facing her. She reached out and pushed her fingers through his hair, causing his emotions to run haywire once more.

"I shouldn't have…pushed you down like that," he answered, "I wasn't thinking right."

She giggled. "And I shouldn't have kissed you again. But I couldn't resist."

She winked at him and traced over his lips with her finger. He kissed it softly, causing her to blush slightly. He grinned.

"You're blushing," he said amusedly.

"It's just that…you're so sweet," she replied, blushing even more.

He found himself grinning even more. "I sure am," he agreed, reaching over and pulling her close to him.

He kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes. He couldn't help but think that she looked completely and utterly adorable when she had her eyes closed. He nearly placed a kiss on her lips, which looked especially kissable at the moment, but the sound of the door opening caused him to lay his head back down and stare at her, their faces and bodies inches apart. She opened her eyes, smiling, and he became lost in their chocolaty brown depths. His focus was lost, however, when a very hard something hit him in the back. Wincing, he pulled Silver close and rolled so that she was on top of him, knowing that if she didn't, she would be hit by Neville's falling body. Sure enough, it was unmistakably Neville who hit the ground with a thud, and then scrambled up, muttering words he surely never would have uttered if he had known he was in Silver's presence. He turned around, and his eyes grew wide as saucers as he looked at the two.

"Harry! S…Silver! I'm sorry, I didn't see you two…w…way down there," he stammered.

Silver giggled. "It's alright, Neville," she assured him.

"I, uh, had better go," he said, blushing furiously.

"Didn't you come in here for a reason?" Silver replied sensibly.

"Reason, right. I mean no. I'll go," Neville said quickly.

With that, he ran out of the room, in such a haste that he didn't even close the door after himself.

Silver began to giggle. "I think we scared him," she commented.

"Well," Harry replied mischievously, "You have me in rather a compromising position, wouldn't you say?"

She began to laugh even harder as she rolled off of him.

"Oh, Harry, you're terrible," she exclaimed, "Now come on and help me pack your things."

"Kay, honey," he replied, sitting up. She looked at him as if she were about to kiss him, but wisely held back and handed him a pile of clothes to fold. In the end, his things fit in quite nicely.

"There, see?" she asked triumphantly as he snapped his trunk shut, "It does fit!"

"If it weren't for you, I'd have had to leave half my things behind," he replied, "You're a miracle worker."

"Sounds like a lame excuse for a kiss," she answered smartly.

"Is it working?" he asked hopefully.

"Like a charm," she confirmed, leaning in to kiss him.

No sooner had their lips touched when a most unwelcome noise reached Harry's ears.

"So it is true!" Ron crowed.

Harry glanced up to see him and Hermione watching them, both smirking.

"What's true?" Silver asked.

"Neville came out the color of a Gryffindor flag muttering at people to stay out of the boys dorms," Hermione replied, looking a bit too smug.

"Yeah, he said, and I quote 'They're rolling around on the floor!'" Ron mimicked, dissolving into laughter as he finished.

Silver blushed profusely, and Harry grinned.

"We weren't doing any rolling until he tripped over me and I had to grab Silver so that she wasn't crushed by him," Harry replied, and then as he saw Hermione's look, "And before that we were just laying there!"

"We didn't really think you two were," Ron said, only halfway recovered from his fit of laughter, "But it was so funny."

"Oh, no," Silver said suddenly, "Where is Neville?"

"I don't know, he left the Gryffindor common room," Ron replied, "Why?"

Silver looked troubled, and it only took Harry a moment to figure out why.

"Aw, no," he moaned, laying back on the floor, "Kiss me goodbye now, darling, because when Snape hears about that, I'll be dead."

Silver giggled. "I'm going to go make sure he doesn't get any…wrong impressions," she replied, "I would stay inside of Gryffindor tower until then, if I were you."

Harry watched her go amidst Ron's uncontrolled laughter and Hermione's giggles.

"You know, I reckon one of these days he really is going to hurt you," Ron commented, undisguised amusement in his eyes.

"You're so comforting," Harry replied sarcastically.

Silver didn't return for a good hour, by which time Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in the common room, Ron and Hermione engaged in a game of chess. They all looked up to see a slightly disgruntled Silver walking towards them. She sat down looking half amused, half surprised.

"How'd it go?" Harry asked.

"Well, it was just my luck that he'd already heard an extremely stretched out version of Neville's story by the time I had arrived," Silver replied, "He was very hard to reason with - he made me admit that I was in the boys' dorms, gave me a talk about that, and he finished it off by giving me a lecture on how to get away from boys that are snogging me against my consent. He really doesn't want to admit that I like you in the least."

She gave him a sympathetic glance as she finished, and then added, "But I told him that you didn't do anything, so he's not _that_ mad at you."

Harry was about to reply, when Ron interrupted.

"What, exactly, was this extremely stretched out version?" he inquired.

"Let's just say he told me he wouldn't buy any clothes for the baby," Silver replied.

Ron burst into laughter, and Hermione looked as if she were trying very hard to hold it in. Harry groaned.

"I'll bet he was ready to murder me," he said.

"I'm thinking he already had about five back-up plans," Silver confirmed.

Harry grinned with amusement. He guessed that Snape's first choice would have been strangling him with his bare hands. Silver scooted over into his arms, and he kissed the top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. He glanced at the clock and found that they would be leaving in only an hour. He breathed a sigh against her neck, and she gave him a sympathetic and understanding look.

----------------------------------------------------

All too soon, they were boarding the train. At this point, Harry was afraid to let Silver out of his sight for even a moment for fear of somehow losing her. He watched as Silver bade goodbye to Charisma and Esperanza, whom Snape was going to transport to Grimmauld Place whilst they were on the train. Since it was not safe for him or Silver to return to the manor now that Voldemort was aware of Snape's loyalties, he and Silver were staying at Grimmauld Place for the time being. Harry was glad, seeing as that meant that when he finally did escape the Dursleys, he would be with Silver.

As they boarded the train, Ron and Hermione departed for the Prefects compartment, leaving Harry and Silver to themselves. Harry was determined to find an empty one, and, to his delight, they did. He made a great show of pulling her in gallantly, and she giggled as she entered. He slid the door shut and heard a satisfactory click as he locked it. He turned to her to see that she was looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"Ooh, locking the door, are we?" she asked.

"Yep," he replied, grinning evilly and sitting down beside her.

"Are you sure you want to be alone with me?" she asked, "After all, I might put you in a compromising position."

He scooted closer to her, and she scooted away. A grin lit his face as he followed her. Her eyes widened slightly when she hit the wall behind her. He chuckled.

"Something wrong, gorgeous?" he asked.

"Gorgeous?" she echoed, pretending to be suspicious.

"Very," he assured her, leaning closer, "Any guy would be lucky to be, oh, say, locked in an empty train compartment with you."

She giggled, and allowed her lips to brush his as she spoke. "You don't say," she replied.

He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away. His eyes glittered mischievously as he looked at her.

"Playing hard to get?" he inquired curiously.

She smiled in response. He took his index finger and let it gently trace the length of her arm. She gave a delighted shiver and allowed him to fasten his arms around her. She wound her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her with a small smile playing upon her lips. He was only an inch away from what he was sure was going to be a very satisfying kiss when a small blast issued from the door, and a very scared looking Neville toppled in.

"M…M…Malfoy," he stuttered, "Malfoy is hunting me down!"

"Well then hide or something," Harry replied exasperatedly, not allowing Silver to pull away, "And close the door."

Neville's eyes landed on the two of them for the first time, and he blushed profusely, opening his mouth to say something and then snapping it shut. Silver let out a giggle.

"Go on, Neville, hide," she urged, "The luggage compartment above the seat, I think."

Neville immediately slammed the compartment door shut and scrambled towards the luggage compartment, and no sooner had he begun to climb in than Silver began to plant soft kisses on the side of Harry's jaw. He turned to her with surprise. She was certainly in a very good mood, at least in his opinion. She placed a teasingly brief kiss on his lips, smirking as she pulled away. He heard the luggage's compartment door close and eagerly leaned forward. Once again, they were interrupted.

"Yeah, and then…" Ron's voice trailed off as he turned his eyes upon Silver and Harry.

Harry began to pull away, came to his senses, and kissed her anyway. She jumped from the shock it affronted her, but managed to kiss him back anyway.

"Aw, get a room," Ron groaned.

"Come on now, you two," Hermione echoed disapprovingly.

Harry grinned as he pulled away from Silver, who was also smiling.

"Well, we actually had a compartment all to ourselves until you came," he said, "Well, actually until Neville came, but he's hiding in the luggage compartment, so we're not paying any attention to him."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, reaching above the seat and pulling up the door.

Neville beamed at her from inside. "Hi, Hermione," he said brightly.

Hermione gave a squeal and let the door drop in Neville's face. Harry and Ron snorted with laughter, and Silver giggled. Hermione slowly pulled the door back up.

"What are you doing in there?" she demanded.

"Well, Malfoy was threatening me, so I came in here, and Harry and Silver were, ah…" he paused.

"We were going to kiss," Harry supplied, "But he broke the door down and we were a bit distracted."

Ron snorted. "Well, you sure weren't distracted when we came in," he replied.

Harry grinned. "Nope," he agreed.

"I'm sure you can come out, Neville," Hermione said, "We didn't see Malfoy anywhere when we were coming." Harry reached out and snaked an arm around Silver's waist, and she laid her head on his shoulder. They remained that way for the entire train ride, which was wholly uneventful. During that time he listened to Ron, Hermione, and Neville carry on a conversation which he and Silver occasionally joined in on, but mostly his attention was focused on Silver. He murmured the words 'I love you' into her hair countless times, and the other three all did a bad job of pretending they didn't notice.

When the train stopped, Harry felt like staying right where he was. He had a feeling that if he had asked her to, Silver probably would have stayed with him. As it was, they didn't move while Ron, Hermione, and Neville filed out. Neville had the good sense to close the door as he left. Harry turned to Silver, who was looking up at him with bright eyes. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"I love you, Harry," she murmured, "And I'm going to write you so often that you're going to get sick of my letters. And I'm going to yell at Dumbledore every day until he lets you come home."

He smiled, knowing full well that she would yell at Dumbledore.

"I won't get sick of your letters, so don't stop sending them," he told her, rubbing her back.

She sighed. "If we don't get off the train, there's going to be a search party conducted for me," she said, pulling away.

He grinned, knowing full well that she was right. "Alright," he agreed.

He was a bit dazed as he walked off of the platform and was met with the unwelcome sight of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's faces. Silver loyally stayed by his side.

"That's them," he informed her, with a nod of his head in their direction.

She followed his gaze and her eyes landed upon the two frowning and unwelcoming faces. Neither his aunt or uncle had seen him yet, and for that Harry was glad.

"I'll be right back," Silver told him, suddenly disappearing from his side.

"Don't-" he began, but she was too quick for him. "Go," he finished dully, not able to figure out where she had gone.

"Boy!" Uncle Vernon's voice suddenly growled.

Harry slowly turned his head to look at his uncle, who was giving him a death look along with his aunt.

"G'bye, Harry," Ron was suddenly saying, patting him on the back.

The entire Weasley family echoed him, and Hermione gave him a quick hug and a, "See you soon."

"Bye, guys," Harry said, giving them a small wave and then turning towards his aunt and uncle.

He was happy to see that the reason Uncle Vernon hadn't yelled at him again was because Lupin, Tonks, and Moody were currently surrounding the two, no doubt giving them a talking to.

"We may be dropping by to visit Harry this summer," Lupin said casually as Harry walked up, as Tonks, who was currently sporting lime green spiked hair, nodded.

Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked terrified. "Well I – I can't – I don't-" Uncle Vernon sputtered angrily.

He suddenly stopped, staring over Harry's shoulder at something with a disbelieving look on his face. The next moment Harry felt slender arms wrap themselves around him from behind. He turned around to face Silver, grinning once more. He realized that she had gone to set down her trunks so that she could hug him goodbye properly. He slid his arms around her waist and gently rubbed her back as he looked down at her. She rose on her tiptoes and slid her hands around his neck.

"Bye, Harry," she murmured, her eyes already closed in anticipation of a kiss.

Harry closed the distance between them easily, closing his lips over hers and feeling her tighten her arms around him. They parted after only a few seconds, but only with their lips. She stayed as close to him as possible, her head against his, and he held her tightly to make sure she didn't think she could leave anytime soon.

"Love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Harry," she breathed.

He reluctantly allowed her to slide out of his arms and take a step backwards. The promises she had made on the train were written in her eyes, partially hidden behind unshed tears.

"Come on, boy," Uncle Vernon managed, "We have places to go."

With that, he and Aunt Petunia turned and began to walk away. Silver bit her lip and stepped back once more, a signal for him to go, and not stay right there like he felt like doing at the moment. He turned back around, and got sympathetic goodbyes from Lupin, Moody, and Tonks before trotting to catch up with Uncle Vernon. Oh yes, this was going to be a very different summer…

----------------------------------------

**Note:** I will be posting one more chappie, kind of like an Epilogue, which will give you all a link to the sequel. However, if you check my portfolio, you'll be able to find it anyway. See you guys in the sequel! -beams-


	49. Epilogueish Thingamabob

**Epilogue-ish Thingamabob**

Hey guys, I'm not really sure what this chapter would be considered? Epilogue almost does it, but not really, because I'm not going to write an epilogue. It's just a...thing...that comes after the story. Well anyway, let's get down to business...

I've made the sequel - it's called The Final Battle. Because, well, the final battle is going to be in there and it takes me months to come up with a good title. I didn't think you guys wanted to wait that long. Hehe. To view this wonderfulific story, you can go to my portfolio by clicking my name at the top of the page, and it should be listed under the stories that I've authored. If you visit this link and it isn't listed, press refresh. If it still doesn't work, come back in about 15 minutes in a new window. If it still doesn't work, e-mail me (to find my e-mail, just click my name!) and I will get you the direct link to the story, which is much too complicated for me to have memorized at the moment (it involves lots of numbers).

I also want to give a BIIIGGGG thank you to all of you reviewers! I wholly appreciate both your criticism and comments. Let's face it, I've made quite a few slip-ups in this story. But hey, I'm only human, and I have you guys to tell me when I mess up, so it's all good! I was tempted to throw in another chapter or two towards the end, since it cut off from the Valentines Ball to the end of the year so quickly, but I really didn't have a good reason to, so I kind of blew through those months. Anyway, I will see you at the sequel (hopefully!)

P.S. To those of you who saw the unedited version of this - I am human! I am! XP


End file.
